Lord

In Great Britain, lord is a general title for a prince or for a feudal superior (especially a feudal tenant who holds directly from the king, i.e., a baron). In the United Kingdom the title today denotes a peer of the realm, whether or not he sits in Parliament as a member of the House of Lords. The title is primarily taken by men, while women will usually take the title 'lady'. However, this is not universal, as the Lord of Mann and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (2003–2007), are examples of women who use 'lord'. According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, the etymology of the word can be traced back to the Old English word 'hlāford' which originated from 'hlāfweard' meaning 'bread keeper', reflecting the Germanic tribal custom of a superior providing food for his followers. Lady, the female equivalent, originates from a similar structure, believed to have originally meant 'loaf-kneader'. The Scottish title laird is also often translated as lord, however there are differences... full article at wikipedia