Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Mr.

English answer:

master

Added to glossary by Kim Metzger
May 15, 2004 20:18
20 yrs ago
English term

Mr.

English Art/Literary Accounting
At which age can a person obtain the title of Mr. or Miss.? What is the title for a boy, a girl and a just-born baby in English? In my previous question, they say 'master' is used for a male baby. How come I never heard of it and it can't be found in dictionary?

Responses

+8
16 mins
Selected

Explanation

Dear Adda, what is true for one country/culture may not be true in another country/culture. For example, it seems from your question that there are strict rules regarding titles for people of different ages in your country. This isn't quite the case in the United States or in Britain, as far as I know (speaking as an American).
It's quite possible that a young person in his teens would be addressed as Mr. in a preparatory school in the US. But there is no legal age when a male receives the title Mr. In official documents, it's possible that a male boy could be referred to as master. My grandfather always addressed letters to me when I was a boy as Master Kim Metzger. The same applies to females, ie. Miss vs. Ms. or Mrs. I dont' know why you never heard of it. But you can find master in most English dictionaries. Merriam Webster's - master: a youth or boy too young to be called mister.
Peer comment(s):

agree Refugio : Yes, Master is still used to address mail to a young boy, although it has an old-fashined flavor. My grandmother always addressed letters to me as Miss.
1 hr
agree Marijke Singer : My son (13) regularly gets post from his bank which is addressed to Master ... and my daughter (10) is Miss (in the UK you normally do not put a . behind Mr , Mrs, Ms and Miss)
1 hr
agree DGK T-I
1 hr
agree Rajan Chopra
5 hrs
agree Java Cafe : Excellent explanation!
7 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
10 hrs
agree IrinaGM
13 hrs
agree kellyn (X)
10 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
7 mins

depends on the context

master:
3 a (1) archaic : MR. (2) : a youth or boy too young to be called mister -- used as a title b : the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron
(Webster´s dictionary). It is definitely old fashioned, was used mainly in noble families when the servants had to address the sons of the family. For a girl it is always Miss or, in a familiar and informal way, missy.
Peer comment(s):

agree Vicky Papaprodromou
4 mins
agree Craft.Content
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
+8
18 mins

there are no fixed rules...

but usually when one becomes responsible for one's own finances, the correspondence begins to be addressed as 'Mr.' However in popular norm it is relative. For example a seven year old boy may address a 20 year old young man a 'Mr.' because the boy wil pereive the young amn as 'old' enough to merit the 'Mr.' appellation. There is a humorous remark among adults that the day a boy calls you 'Mister is the day you begin to get old.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-05-15 20:38:32 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

=:^D
Peer comment(s):

agree Refugio : Same with ma'am for women.
1 hr
indeed!
agree DGK T-I
1 hr
agree Craft.Content
4 hrs
agree Rajan Chopra
5 hrs
agree Java Cafe : True.
7 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
10 hrs
agree IrinaGM
13 hrs
agree Orla Ryan
1 day 16 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
2 hrs

Master: as long as the boy is a minor

**Acording to the Oxford Dictionary And Thesaurus: Apart from other
meanings:
"Master is a title prefixed to the name of a boy not old enough to
be called Mr".
**A boy can be called a Master, as long as he is a minor.
**These titles of Master and Miss may not be used in many Countries;
but Master and Miss or some other equivalents in their respective
languages, are definitely still in use, in some Countries.
**It is usually out of respect. Yes, a boy or a girl also deserves
respect from older people.
**In India: Servants are never seen calling a minor of the house,
or minor guests, just by the name. There is always some kind of
honorific.
**In addressing letters: I would still use Master for my little nephew
(I think, I will use it until he goes to College.) and Miss for my
13 year old niece (will be a Miss until she is married).
Peer comment(s):

agree Craft.Content
1 hr
thanks.
agree Rajan Chopra
3 hrs
thanks.
agree Java Cafe
5 hrs
thanks.
Something went wrong...
+1
18 hrs
English term (edited): Mister

Even six-year-olds can be called Mister or Miss to get their attention

As a first-grade teacher, I was usually able to prevent or remedy hehavior lapses in class by simply saying to the child, "MISter Gonzales?"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 days (2004-06-20 01:16:57 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

DEAR ABBY: Please tell me if it is still appropriate to address a card to a young male child as \"Master\" and then the child\'s name? I have been doing it for years, but my husband says that the practice is outdated. -- UNSURE IN ELYRIA, OHIO

DEAR UNSURE: Continue to do it if you wish. According to the 16th edition of Emily Post\'s \"Etiquette\" (Harper Collins, 1997): \"Boys may be addressed as \'Master\' on envelopes and formal correspondence until they are about 7 years old, and \'Mr.\' when they become 18. In between, no title is used.\"
Peer comment(s):

agree nlingua : Reminds me of Snape "MISter Potter -- our new ... celebrity"
2 days 4 hrs
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search