Master (form of address)

This article refers to the form of address. For other uses, see Master.

Master is an English title.

In English society

Master was used in England for men of some rank, especially "free masters" of a trade guild and by any manual worker or servant employee to his employer (his master), but also generally by those lower in status to gentlemen, priests or scholars. In the Elizabethan period it is used between equals, especially to a group ("My masters"), mainly by urban artisans and tradespeople. It was later extended to all respectable men and was the forerunner of Mister, which is derived from it.

After its replacement in common speech by Mister, Master was retained as an address for boys or young men. By the late 19th Century, etiquette dictated that men be addressed as Mister, boys under 13 years old be addressed as Master, and from 15 to the age of maturity males not be accorded courtesy titles. However, in more recent times it is not uncommon for high-school boys (and sometimes junior-high-school boys, but not, typically, younger) to be addressed as Mister, though some etiquette writers hold that the title Mr should not be used until the boy has left school. The title Master is much less frequently used in spoken language than formerly.

However, Master is still used as the written form of address for boys of some undefined age, often regarded as under 13 in formal correspondence, particularly invitations to formal affairs.

Master is used sometimes to describe the head of a large estate or household who often employs many domestic workers.

In Scottish society

The heir to a Scottish lordship, barony or viscountcy is given the honorific title Master of followed by his father's title. For instance, the heir of Lord Elphinstone is known as the Master of Elphinstone; The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson is about the ignoble heir to a noble house.

In English Canada and the United States

The general usage follows the English, though less strictly. Adult males are addressed, formally, as Mister, while boys are addressed formally as Master, though the latter is retained only in highly formal situations (such as for weddings and wedding invitations, which tend to be the only time many people follow full, formal etiquette) and by some older persons. The age at which the transition from master to mister takes place is not strictly observed, though approximately 13, or the beginning of high school (13 to 14) is usual for those who still observe the distinction.

In institutions

Some academic institutions, notably colleges within universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, have a post of Master, generally being the head of the institution. In formal address it can be customary to address such persons as Master, for example at the beginning of a speech: Master, President, Senior Members, ladies and gentlemen:.

Within the four Inns of Court, the governing bodies are formed by the Masters of the Bench, all of whom will be addressed by as, for example, Master Bloggs, notwithstanding that they may be Mr Bloggs QC, Lord Bloggs or Judge Bloggs at work or in outside life. There is also a category of junior judges, the High Court Masters, who are properly addressed as Master. In all these cases, the title Master is applied to women as well as men.

In Canada, judicial officers (deputy judges) called Masters may be appointed to the Superior Court of a province, and are generally appointed to courthouses located in larger cities. Masters may adjudicate interim matters in court cases and are formally addressed as "Master" or "Sir"/"Madam".

The head of almost every London Livery Company is the Master, and addressed as such.

The head of a Masonic Lodge is the Master, and addressed as Worshipful Master (not to be confused with the degree of Master Mason, which is not a form of address.)

Some American college preparatory schools refer to their instructors as Masters, based on the British model. The head of a school is sometimes referred to as the Headmaster.

In Religion

In Eastern Orthodoxy, the term (or, more likely, a foreign-language equivalent) is used as a less formal, almost intimate, form of address, and also as a term of reference in a bishop's absence. Foreign language equivalents include Despota (Greek), Vladyka/Vladyko (Slavic), Stăpâne (Romanian) and Sayedna (Arabic). Examples: "Welcome, Vladyko." or "Sayedna Elias will be arriving next Thursday."

In Martial Arts

The Orient and the martial arts use the term Master to denote persons of skill, the head of a large school, and significant rank. For the Korean martial arts, a third degree black belt has become a junior master, fifth degree black belt would be considered a master, and eigth degree is considered a Grandmaster.

Other uses in society

A tradesman who has qualified on completion of his apprenticeship may be described as a Master Plumber, Master baker, etc., although that is not a form of address.

The term is generally used now to refer to an artisan considered to be at the top of their craft.

In fiction

In fiction, master is often used to indicate a teacher/pupil situation or for higher ranking persons than the speaker. An example of this is Darth Vader referring to Emperor Palpatine as his master, for example when acknowledging an order with the phrase "Yes, Master".

Master Harold...and the Boys, a 1982 play written by Athol Fugard, demonstrates the use of "Master" to denote the social structure of South Africa under apartheid.

See also

• Italian honorifics
• Mistress (form of address)