Dear Sir
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 knight’s 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, you’ve 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 “Ma’am.”
Even in a democracy–perhaps especially in a democracy–the older forms of courtesy are never out of place.
Maeve on October 29, 2007 
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Related Articles
Bookmark
6 Responses to “Dear Sir”
Got something to say?
Sponsors
Popular Articles
- 40 Yiddish Words You Should Know
- The Impotence of Proofreading
- 6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know
- Let the Word Do the Work
- 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals
- 12 Greek Words You Should Know
- 34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer
- Gross Writing Errors on the Web
- Creative Writing 101
- Latin Words and Expressions
- Usage That Provokes “Blackboard Moments”
- 44 Resume Writing Tips
Recent Articles
- Hermes, God of the Word
- Numskulls, Noodles, and Nincompoops
- Word of the Day: Aura
- What is Dative Case?
- To “B” or Not to “B”
- Should THAT Be Allowed to Stand In for WHO?
- Be Your Own Ideal Reader
- Words to Describe Degrees of Religiosity
- Don’t Blame the Americans for this One!
- Grammar Done Right - Interview With Karen Reddick
Thanks Maeve, very clear.
As always straight & to the point.
Very nice and to the point.
I’d say it depends on the person, although it’s hard to know the preferences of a stranger. For example, I hate being called “sir” by anyone.
Hear! Hear! Two thumbs up for courtesy.
excellent and reasonable job done . Words fail me to decribe .weldone