Honorifics are words that connote esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. In the German language , honorifics distinguish people by age, sex, profession, academic achievement, and rank. In the past, a distinction was also made between married and unmarried women.
47-541: Fräulein ( / ˈ f r ɔɪ . l aɪ n / FROY -lyne , German: [ˈfʁɔʏlaɪn] ) is the German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and Mademoiselle in French. Fräulein is the diminutive form of Frau , which was previously reserved only for married women. Frau is in origin the equivalent of "My lady" or "Madam",
94-406: A Herr or Frau respectively (and almost never with a Fräulein ); the contrary shall be noted as exceptions in the following. All clergy and ministers are usually called Herr (or Protestants also: Frau ) plus the title of their office, e. g., Herr Pfarrer , Frau Pastorin . Adjectival predicates are only used for Roman Catholic clergy, and then in the following order: Whether Monsignors of
141-402: A form of address of a noblewoman. But by an ongoing process of devaluation of honorifics, it came to be used as the unmarked term for "woman" by about 1800. Therefore, Fräulein came to be interpreted as expressing a "diminutive of woman", as it were, implying that a Fräulein is not-quite-a-woman. By the 1960s, this came to be seen as patronising by proponents of feminism , partly because there
188-440: A person knighted for their (in this case commercial) achievements. Germany generally has not kept the practice, except for the fine arts ( Kammersänger , Staatsschauspieler and so forth). People who had received a title under the monarchies usually retained them until their death. On the other hand, the distinction Hoflieferant ("Court supplier") was not strictly speaking a honorific (though often used as such), but implied
235-484: A priest who serves as teacher of religion at a state school). Professors of theology are always addressed by their academic function (except, possibly, if prelates, which usually, though of similar eminence, they aren't). Parochial vicars usually have the honorific title Kaplan (chaplain), while actual chaplains as a rule have the in this case honorific title Pfarrer ("parish priest"). The traditional honorifics for nobility are, in descending order, The last one
282-436: A silk cape. The ferraiuolo is for non-liturgical events, such as graduation and commencement ceremonies. Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes and the purple ferraiuolo . Purple cassocks as choir dress. They can wear the mantelletta in choir dress with a black biretta with a red tuft. The Catholic church originally maintained 14 classes of papal honors. A priest with the title of "privy chamberlain" would lose
329-483: A style from 14 to three. The protonotary apostolic class was divided into two subsections. The classes of chamberlains and chaplains were abolished, leaving only a single class of "chaplains of his holiness". The three papal honor classes are: In March 2013, Pope Francis suspended the granting of papal honors, with the title of monsignor, to all clergy except members of the Vatican diplomatic service . However, by 2022
376-400: Is Herr (or nowadays Frau ) plus their military rank , e. g., Herr Leutnant . If needed for distinction, the last name can be attached. Subordinates can alternatively be called with rank plus last-name. For soldiers who know each other, for Mannschaften (enlisted personnel not NCOs) among themselves, and also for an officer from the same unit to an enlisted soldier whom he knows personally,
423-604: Is Monsignore (using the Italian form), but it is only usually used for Monsignors of the first degree (Chaplains of His Holiness), not for prelates as in English, or for bishops as in Italian. If used, protocol demands to leave away the usual Herr (to avoid the meaning "Lord My Lord"), but this is uncommon in German and the incorrect phrase "Herr Monsignore" can often be heard. Higher prelates are addressed Herr Prälat (not, usually, "Herr Protonotar "), or possibly with their office (if it
470-425: Is " Sie ." Grammatically speaking, this is the 3rd-person-plural form, and, as a subject of a sentence, it always takes the 3rd-person-plural forms of verbs and possessive adjective/ pronouns, even when talking to only one person. (Familiar pronouns have singular and plural forms.) Honorific pronouns are always capitalized except for the polite reflexive pronoun " sich ." In letters, e-mails, and other texts in which
517-589: Is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church . Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore , meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons. or Msgr. In some countries, the title "monsignor" is used as a form of address for bishops. However, in English-speaking countries, the title is unrelated to the episcopacy, though many priests with
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#1733085643231564-458: Is considered incorrect to attach Herr, Frau, Fräulein to "Baron" and so forth, except if the Baron in question is one's actual superior, though this appears often nevertheless. It certainly is incorrect to speak of "Herr Freiherr" and so forth, seeing that this is a doubling, so sometimes the phrase "[sehr geehrter] Freiherr von [e. g.] Sonstwoher" is used (given that Freiherr is unquestionably part of
611-409: Is forbidden to attach honorifics to themselves or demand them (but may attach them to family members). The equivalent of a Baron is called Freiherr (fem. Freifrau , fem. unmarried Freifräulein , which is rare, or its more usual abbreviation Freiin ), though some "Barone" exist with foreign (e. g. Russian) titles. Nevertheless, in address they are usually called "Baron", "Baronin", and "Baroneß". It
658-487: Is in full vigour as far as courtrooms are concerned, where the participants will all the time be addressed as Herr Angeklagter ("Mr. Defendant"), Herr Verteidiger ("Mr. Defending Counsel"), Herr Zeuge ("Mr. Witness"), Herr Kläger ("Mr. Plaintiff") and so forth. Judges are Herr Richter , Herr Vorsitzender , Herr Vizepräsident or Herr Präsident (depending on their rank), similarly the public prosecutors (usually Herr Staatsanwalt ). The general address for soldiers
705-452: Is no equivalent male diminutive, and during the 1970s and 1980s, the term Fräulein became nearly taboo in urban and official settings, while it remained an unmarked standard in many rural areas. It is seen as sexist by modern feminists. This process was somewhat problematic, at least during the 1970s to 1980s, since many unmarried women of the older generation insisted on Fräulein as a term of distinction, respecting their status, and took
752-421: Is not known and the addresser is not familiar with the shoulder strap), but otherwise somewhat outdated. As teachers on public schools are, as a rule, civil servants (and on Church schools often receive a similar status), this is likewise true for teachers, with the exception that for teachers not the headmaster, it is perhaps even a bit more outdated to use their rank than for other civil servants. It used to be
799-544: Is not that of a Cathedral capitular without further distinction, in which case the title of prelate is preferred.) Abbots are addressed Herr Abt or Vater Abt ("Father Abbot"), abbesses Frau Äbtissin or Mutter Äbtissin ("Mother Abbess"). (The "Father" and "Mother" versions are one of the few cases where Herr or Frau falls away.) Other male religious are called Pater ("Father", but in Latin) if priests and Frater ("Brother", but also in Latin) if not, sometimes together with
846-514: Is now completely obsolete, as is the incorrect practice of elevating bourgeois notables to Hochwohlgeboren (which emerged in the last years of the German monarchies to give expression to the importance of the bourgeoisie in a society that was in its formalities still pre–Industrial Revolution). But also Erlaucht , Hochgeboren , Hochwohlgeboren are increasingly rare (and some make a point of not attaching any such predicate unless to sovereigns of non-German states). Austrian (but not German) nobility
893-506: Is the Kommerzialrat (Prussia: Kommerzienrat ) ("Commercial Counsellor [implied: to the Court]), which denotes an entitled businessman. In the monarchies, there also was an "augmented" form of that, in this case Geheimer Kommerzialrat , generally received by adding the adjective "Geheim" (see Geheimrat ). This literally means "Privy (Commercial, etc.) Councillor" and is roughly the equivalent of
940-409: Is used; after retirement, the title Pfarrer (parish priest, pastor) can be kept if held at some point in their life. It is also quite common to address such priests with their academic rank, if they have some ("[hochwürdiger] Herr Dr. Lastname", for a doctor), or their civil-servant rank if they have some ("[hochwürdiger] Herr Oberstudienrat", literally something like "Rev. Mr. Teacher-first-class", for
987-405: The Vatican diplomatic service are eligible for all three honors. Priests working in a diocese are only eligible for the "Chaplain of His Holiness" honor. Priests must be nominated by their bishop and (for appointments after 2013) must be at least 65 years old. Pope Paul VI , in his 1968 publication motu proprio Pontificalis Domus , reduced the number of papal honors allowing "Monsignor" as
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#17330856432311034-468: The nuncio ), but especially Seine Gnaden (which dates from a time when not all bishops were accorded the style "Excellency" then considered higher) and hochehrwürdig and wohlehrwürdig (which tend to be replaced by a simple ehrwürdig ), followed by "Excellency" at least as far as auxiliary bishops are concerned. It is good style, though, to use them at least in all places where layfolk would be addressed as sehr geehrte (which they replace), such as at
1081-418: The French « vous ») or the 3rd person singular (" Er " He, " Sie " She) and their corresponding possessive adjectives and verb forms were used. The 3rd person plural as polite form of address as it is used today became standard during the 19th and 20th centuries. For more details about German grammar, see the entries about the German language. Using "Herr" for very young men, certainly those below
1128-450: The Vatican simplified the dress of monsignors: Purple-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes , good for all occasions. Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes, good for all occasions. Purple cassocks as choir dress for liturgical events of special solemnity. Red-trimmed black cassocks with purple sashes. Purple cassocks as choir dress. Can also wear the purple ferraiuolo ,
1175-493: The actual function of someone supplying a Court in at least a marginal role with some (high-quality) goods. Hoflieferant is now still attached to the companies who had received it under the monarchies, but no longer as previously to their proprietors in person (if they, as now always the case, came into that position later, whether by inheriting or buying). Monsignor Monsignor ( / m ɒ n ˈ s iː n j ər / ; Italian : monsignore [monsiɲˈɲoːre] )
1222-690: The address of Frau as offensive or suggestive of extra-marital sexual experience. From the 1970s, Fräulein was used less often, and it was banned from official use in West Germany in 1972 by the Minister of the Interior. Nevertheless, the word, as a title of address and in other uses, continues to be used, albeit in much reduced frequency. Nowadays, style guides and dictionaries recommend that all women be addressed as Frau regardless of marital status, particularly in formal situations. A newsletter published on
1269-514: The age of 16, is rather awkward and often avoided (except in letters from the state's bureaucracy) by using the first name, or first name and last name. There used to be a direct equivalent to Fräulein , viz., Junker (formed “jung Herr”, lit. “young lord”, and equivalent to Master in English), but this word is now only used in describing a specific class (which properly speaking did not consist of "junkers" in this sense at all, but of "Herren") and in
1316-462: The beginning of letters, speeches and so forth. The oft-seen abbreviation "H. H." (e. g. in obituaries) means "hochwürdigster Herr". It is incorrect to address an auxiliary bishop as "Herr Weihbischof"; he must be called Herr Bischof . Cardinals are always Herr Kardinal (or more formally Seine/Euer Eminenz ), never, for instance, Herr Erzbischof even if they are diocesan archbishops and are addressed as such. The literal translation of "Monsignor"
1363-441: The case that the name of professions was used as a honorific, together with Herr (or Frau ), e. g. Herr Schriftsteller ("Mr. Professional Writer"), Herr Installateur ("Mr. Plumber") and so forth. This is generally outdated. Though there is a professional qualification called Meister ("master craftsman"), and there is also an outdated honorific called Meister (in this case roughly equivalent to "goodman"; in use, when "Herr"
1410-403: The first degree (that is, Chaplains of His Holiness) are hochwürdigst or hochwürdig is a borderline case. The predicate hochwürdigst is sometimes also extended to other priests of certain high positions (say, cathedral capitulars ), but never for parish priests or for deans. All these predicates are in increasingly sparing use (except for the first, and except for "Excellency" as applied to
1457-533: The general caveats concerning the use of Fräulein ). However, a practising female physician or attorney would be Frau Doktor if holding a doctorate; a Fräulein Doktor suggests an unmarried woman with a doctorate in an academic (or retired) position. In German, the last name can be added after the honorific and academic title, e.g., "Frau Professor Müller". The otherwise outdated use of calling people with Herr and their functions (when they are not ranks of any kind)
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1504-546: The lowest of the three papal honors. He also set a minimum age required of 65. Existing honors were not affected. Pope Francis decided to continue papal honors from all three classes for two groups of clergy: These are the current forms of address for a monsignor: In English-speaking countries, bishops and archbishops are not called "monsignor". However, in 1969 the Vatican Secretariat of State indicated that bishops may be addressed as "monsignor". In some countries,
1551-563: The minimum-age limit for vicars general proposed for appointment as honorary prelates. The reasoning was that as long as a priest holds the office of vicar general, he is also protonotary apostolic supernumerary. A vicar general could not be named chaplain of his holiness. All these criteria were superseded in 2013. These forms were changed in 1969. Under the legislation of Pope Pius X , vicars general and vicars capitular (now called diocesan administrators) are titular (not actual) Protonotaries durante munere. As long as these priests hold
1598-653: The name of the person in Germany - not in Austria - while calling him "Baron" means treating him as nobility). It is likewise considered incorrect to attach Herr, Frau, Fräulein to Counts (m. Graf , fem. Gräfin , fem. unmarried Komteß ), unless the Count in question is one's actual superior, though again this still appears often Doktor and Magistra are the only honorifics (other than those of lower nobility) which can be combined not only with Frau but also with Fräulein (subject to
1645-545: The office, they can have the title "monsignor". Vicars general and diocesan administrators were allowed to wear: As a result of this they were in some countries referred to as "black protonotaries". However, Pontificalis domus of Paul VI removed this position (titular protonotaries) from the Papal Household , even though the title of "monsignor", which is to be distinguished from a prelatial rank, has not been withdrawn from vicars general, as can be seen, for instance, from
1692-459: The rank can fall away except if the subordinate addresses the superior, but Herr is never attached to the last-name simply. Superiors can alternatively call their enlisted subordinates by their function (e. g. Richtschütze "gunner", Kraftfahrer "motorist", Truppführer "assistant squad leader", and so forth). The NVA used Genosse ("Comrade") instead of Herr . In the Imperial Army ,
1739-440: The reader is directly addressed, familiar pronouns may be capitalized or not. In schoolbooks, the pronouns usually remain lowercased. Declension of the polite personal pronoun " Sie ": Nominative case: Sie Accusative case: Sie Genitive case: Ihrer Dative case: Ihnen Declension of polite possessive adjectives: Obsolete forms of honorific addresses: In former times, the 2nd person plural (" Ihr " ; like
1786-411: The style of "Excellency" was appropriate for some high-ranking generals. A direct equivalent to the frequent anglophone use of "Sir" does not exist. Civil servants ( Beamten ) used to be called with Herr or Frau plus their rank (for their respective ranks, see the tables at Beamter ). This is in full vigour for police-officers (with the now unused rank Wachtmeister stepping in if the precise rank
1833-477: The surname, sometimes also with the first name (though Canons Regular are called Herr rather than Pater or Frater). Female religious are called Schwester ("Sister", but this time in German). This is not used together with both Herr/Frau and their name, though in the address, it is quite common to address a religious priest who does pastoral work in a parish orally as Herr Pater ("Mr. Father"). (Note generally that
1880-412: The term Fahnenjunker ("officer candidate 3rd class"), reflecting the tradition that only officers are Herren (though now used together with "Herr", see below under military). Also, it never lost the touch of describing exclusively those of higher class, which was originally true of all the four mentioned above but has been lost by all of them. Note that almost all other honorifics will be combined with
1927-601: The title had started to be awarded again. At the October 2013 meeting of the Council of Cardinal Advisers , Pope Francis stated his desire to scale back the honors as part of a broader effort to project a more modest and pastoral vision of leadership. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires , Pope Francis never requested papal honors for his priests, associating the honors with clerical "careerism". In December 2013, Pope Francis decreed that diocesan priests could become "Chaplain of His Holiness",
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1974-467: The title later become bishops. The title "monsignor" is a form of address, not an appointment (such as a bishop or cardinal ). A priest cannot be "made a monsignor" or become "the monsignor of a parish". The title "Monsignor" is normally used by clergy who have received one of the three classes of papal honors: The pope bestows these honors upon clergy who: Clerics working in the Roman Curia and
2021-454: The title when the pope who granted it died. When the pope abolished the privy chamberlain class in 1968, the rule was abolished also. These 14 previous classes included: The 14 honor categories were reduced to three categories in 1969. Under Pope Paul VI, the Secretariat of State set minimum qualifications of age and priesthood for the three papal honor classes: The Secretariat waived
2068-420: The titles "Monsignore", " Monseigneur ", "Monsenyor", and "Monseñor" are used for bishops, archbishops and any other prelates below the rank of cardinal or patriarch . The 1969 instruction also indicated that for bishops " Reverendissimus " (translated as "most reverend") could be added to the word "monsignor". For example, the "Most Reverend Monsignor John Doe". This instruction also applied to: In 1979,
2115-479: The translation of "Father" into German is only used for the Pope and for abbots, and into Latin only for religious clergy.) - The office of "Priester" ( priest ) taken simply is nb. never used as a title (there is "Herr Diakon" and "Herr Bischof" but no "Herr Priester"). In the usually brief period where a secular priest has no office that could be used in addressing him, the phrase "Herr Neupriester" ("Mr. New Priest")
2162-538: The website of the German dictionary Duden in 2002, for instance, noted that women should only be addressed as Fräulein when they specifically request this form of address. One area in which the word still sees wide use is in the form of an admonishing address towards girls until about their mid-teens, usually by a parent. German honorifics Like many languages, German has pronouns for both familiar (used with family members, intimate friends, and children) and polite forms of address. The polite equivalent of "you"
2209-525: Was only applied to high-ranking persons, for the non-dependent men below them), this was never a honorific specifically in use for master craftsmen. In Austria – and in monarchical times also in Germany – the Head of State can give certain titles to people of notable achievements in their profession (and, if not for civil servants, usually considerable donations to public welfare). These, again, are usually used with Herr and Frau respectively. A well-known example
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