Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current.[citation needed] In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.[citation needed]
The words "sire" and "sir", as well as the French "(mon)sieur" and the Spanish "señor", share a common etymological origin, all ultimately being related to the Latin senior. The female equivalent form of address is dame or dam.[1]
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References edit
- ^ Jane Mills (April 1992). Womanwords: a dictionary of words about women. Free Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-02-921495-4.