seignior en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- sēnʹ-yûr (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈseɪnjə/ (UK)
- /ˈsiːnjɚ/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle English senyour, from Old French seignor, seignior, from Latin senior, seniōrem. Doublet of seigneur, senhor, senior, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire.
Meanings
-
(historical) A feudal lord; a nobleman who held his lands by feudal grant; any lord (holder) of a manor.
Louis XIV’s minions tried to bend New France’s increasingly aboriginal society to his will. […] In the St. Lawrence Valley almost all arable land not reserved for the Church was divided among well-born gentlemen to enable them to become landed aristocrats, or seigniors.
2011, Colin Woodard, chapter 2, in American nations, New York: Penguin, →ISBN:
- A title of respect, formerly corresponding (especially in France) approximately to Sir.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| seigniors | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| sieur | alternative | lexicographic | |
| seigniour | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| seigneur | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
seigniorial · seignioral · seigniorship · seigniorize