mister
/ˈmɪstər/
noun
Origin
Latin
magister — chief, teacher, master
Overview
Meaning Now
- A title of address for a man, often used before a surname or professional title.
- A casual or sometimes dismissive form of address for a man whose name is not known.
Literal older meaning
master
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
mister
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
Mister and master share the same etymological origin. Over time, 'master' remained the title of authority, while 'mister' (originally a phonetic spelling of master) became the standard prefix for men, eventually abbreviated as 'Mr.' in writing.
Evolution
- Latin
magister
“master or teacher”
- Old French
maistre
“master”
- Middle English
maister
“master”
- Early Modern English
mister
“a title for a man”
Spelling variation of master
Connections
Word parts
mister
root
male title
Related across languages
French
maître
master
Spanish
teacher
Explore next
Related to mister
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.