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The Difference Between My Liege and My Lord

The Difference Between My Liege and My Lord

Going back in time when listening to people say My Lord or My Liege seems so fascinating, right? You may still hear it from people even now but the meanings of these words are a little changed somehow.

Now, the word lord and liege is used to give respect to anyone, even if that’s your mate you are talking to.

The only difference I see in My Lord and My Liege is that My Lord is used for a person of a superior class and My Liege is used for a person in the upper hierarchy of a feudal system.

Let’s get into more detail about Lord VS Liege debate.

What does my liege mean?

The sky and the clouds
The day starts and ends on loyalty

My liege means someone you owe your allegiance to or a person whose allegiance is with the feudal system.

Since people are not fond of aristocracy now and ignore royalty, there are a few other meanings of liege too. You may use the word liege if you are addressing,

  • A feudal lord
  • A statesman
  • An elderly unmarried man
  • A scholar

Liege, you may say is all about allegiance with anyone who holds authority over you. You can either be a faithful soldier and give your allegiance to your king and be the liege or you can deny the monarchy and can be called an unfaithful traitor by the disciples of the monarch!

Who do you refer to as my liege?

Back in time, in the feudal system, a person with a higher ranking is called My Liege by their subordinates. Or a person you owe your loyalty to was called My Liege. The honor that came with this word was unmatchable in those days.

You may say that whatever authority came after the King or the Queen was the authority of a Liege. This tells so much about the importance of the person of this ranking.

The term Liege may have become outdated in this modern world but the word is still used by people for either giving respect to a superior or mocking a friend.

I call my friend My Liege when I get tired of asking something from him and he is just being a lazy fella that he is and does not give me what I want.

But this mocking among friends does not mean in any way that the word has lost its charm.

A painting of two hands touching
Liege is all about allegiance

Where does my liege come from?

If talking about the origin of this word, it is hard to identify the exact date. But if going through the texts and searching through the history, around in the 14th century, people use to call their direct superiors My Liege.

When the feudal society was all about landowners and peasants, My Liege was a well-known term. A term that identified who the superior is over who, who has the loyalty of which person, and so on.

For a peasant, a knight would be the Liege and for a knight, a baron would be a Liege. All in all, a landowner can be considered as the rightful Liege for the worker at the field.

You may have read this word many times in Shakespeare’s novels or have heard it in his plays. But near the 20th century, we have lost the real reason for using this word. Mostly it is used in a fun-filled moment. Like while mocking a mate or things like these.

What does my lord mean?

The word My Lord is mostly used in the British language and it is said for a noble person.

In many of Shakespeare’s novels, you may have noticed My Liege and My Lord being used interchangeably. While both these words can be used as a substitute but in feudalism, the meanings and people associated with both these titles hold different statuses in society.

This salutation is also used in French society but with a little bit of change. People in France are calling it Milord instead of My Lord since the 16th century.

A person in a courtroom
The word My Lord is mostly used in courtrooms worldwide.

Who do you refer to as my lord?

The word My Lord can be used for anyone who you think deserves your respect but most of the time My Lord is used for,

  • A Baron
  • An Earl
  • Son of Duke
  • A Viscount
  • A Marquess
  • A Judge
  • A Bishop
  • A Nobleman

Almost everywhere in the world, My Lord is a known salutation for a judge. But people also use this word when being polite to the elderly.

The word My Lord is still very common in establishments that are operating under royalty, just like in the United Kingdom. If you have ever experienced someone from the royal family being addressed you may know where I am getting to.

Not to forget, people who practice religion address the Almighty through this word. My Lord can also be heard when a person is annoyed and asking the forces from the sky to come to the rescue!

A Youtube Video on The Difference Between My Liege and My Lord

Where does my lord come from?

The word My Lord originated from the English word hlaford which means ruler, master of a house, or a feudal lord.

The literal meaning of the word hlaford is the guardian of the loaves. My lord has become famous in England since the 13th to 14th century and is still used frequently, especially in courtrooms across the world.

To know both the word better, here are some examples of the sentence which will show the use of these words.

My LordMy Liege
My Lord, my client is not a convict yet.A faithful Liege was awarded a Royal title by the King.
Can you ask the Duke for some consideration, My Lord?The loyal Liege willingly served his life for the Queen.
Upon your approval only my son will marry the girl, my Lord.The soldiers denied being the Liege of the monarch.
Lord mayor will look after the scenario from here forward. The Prince got a lot of support from his father’s Liege after the King’s death.
I ask you for mercy my LordCan you pass me the sauce my Liege? Said the other friend mockingly.
How you can use My Lord and MY Liege in a sentence

Summary

When looking more into the discussion between the difference between My Lord and My Liege I got more and more confused.

The internet is full of opinions and I have my own process system that needs validations before writing it down for you. As for me, My Lord and My Liege just have the difference of allegiance and that’s it!

You give respect to both these statuses but if you owe someone your loyalty, you call them My Liege. This is an old story dating back to the feudal system.

In modern times, these words are hardly used other than in courtrooms or a group of friends making fun of each other.

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To see how My Lord and My Liege are different in a shorter time, click here to view the web story.

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