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m'lady

m'lady

13 9.9
A polite old-fashioned way to speak to a woman of noble rank
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : milady
  • "I'm at your service, m'lady, for whatever you require," he said with a bow.
  • Forgive me, m'lady
  • say, m'lady
  • Thank you, m'lady

Examples

  • After tonight, my life is in m'lady's hands.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Right this way, m'lady!

  • "Promise me that when the woman comes for you, m'lady will go with her."

    Fiction book (2002)
  • "As you say, m'lady, it will be hard."

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I do love you, m'lady, but...

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Well, I had to go all out for m'lady.

  • I am at your service m'lady.

  • I fear you are not wrong, m'lady.

  • Just before she left, Smalley asked, "I wonder if I could see your son, m'lady."

    Fiction book (2002)
  • "Please don't make this hard, m'lady," the sergeant mumbled.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

lady
vsm'lady
1.0

A polite or respectful word for a woman

is older and targets higher social rank not just general respectful use
madam
vsm'lady
  • Formal
360 3.2

A polite way to address a woman in a position of authority

is old fashioned and noble focused rather than general formal address
milady
vsm'lady
  • Archaic
58 9.9

A polite way to call a woman of high social rank in old English stories

is an old fashioned contracted polite address rather than the full formal phrase
madame
vsm'lady
  • Formal
36 4.7

A polite title people use for a woman in French, like Mrs

is English old fashioned address focusing on nobility rather than foreign form
Ladyship
vsm'lady
  • UK
20 9.6

A polite title for a woman of noble rank like a countess

is a polite address used informally for respect rather than as an official rank
her ladyship
vsm'lady
  • UK
5 8.5

A polite title used for a woman of high social rank in Britain

is a polite address with an older, less official tone than the formal title
marm
vsm'lady
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A polite way to call a woman, like madam

is more formal and noble oriented rather than casual regional speech

How Respectful

m'lady
  • Archaic
13 9.9
abuela
1 8.0
Senora
12 5.0
lady
1.0
woman
1.0

Surface Forms

m'lady singular
m'ladiess plural

Morphology

m'lady = my + lady (transparent) = my + lady

The form is a contraction of the phrase 'my lady' and the address is directly derived from its components.

Etymology

M'lady is a shortened, spoken form of my + lady, used in older English by servants and knights to politely address a woman of high rank. So it simply means 'my lady' and feels formal and old-fashioned.