Dear Sir

Dear Sir Dear Sir Dear Sir By Maeve Maddox Daniel recently asked me, Is it correct to address someone by Sir even in informal contexts such as Instant Messaging or on a blog comment? The word sir serves a very useful purpose in English, even in those cultures that cherish democratic ideals to the extreme. Sir has been used as a respectful form of address in English since about 1350. Its use as a salutation at the beginning of letters can be traced to 1425. Originally used as a title for a knight, baronet, or (until the Seventeenth Century, a priest), the word sir, like sire, comes from a Latin word related to the word senior and had the meaning older or elder. Sir is still used to preface a knights given name: Now that Rudy Giuliani has been knighted, he can be called Sir Rudy. The form sire, with the sense of your majesty, is used to address a king. As a noun in more general use, sire has the meaning father or male parent. The word can also be used as a verb: John Brown sired several sons. The most frequent general use of sir is in the context of letter writing, a form of expression that is notoriously conservative in its language. For example, the British complimentary closing yours faithfully sounded really abject to my American ear the first time I heard it, but, living in England, I soon became accustomed to it for what it is, a polite convention that no one takes literally. Outside its conventional use as a written salutation, sir is a convenient word to have in a situation in which one wishes to politely catch the attention of a stranger: Sir, youve dropped your credit card. Excuse me, Sir, can you direct me to the town center? The female equivalent in such a situation would be Miss or Maam. Even in a democracyperhaps especially in a democracythe older forms of courtesy are never out of place. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†One "L" or Two?