Signor, Señor, Sir and Senior Are One Family
Signor is the Italian for sir. It descends from the Latin for older, and so do sir, sire, senior, señor and monsieur.
Signor is the Italian title of address for a man, used in English mostly of Italians. Its ancestor is the Latin comparative *senior*, older — and the same word produced the Spanish *señor*, the French *monsieur*, the English *sir* and *sire*, and *senior* itself. Half of Europe addresses men by calling them the elder.
- Italian title for a man. *Signor Rossi.*
- Signora — for a married or older woman. *Signora Bianchi.*
- Signorina — for a young or unmarried woman. *Signorina Conti.*
- Signori — the plural. *Signore e signori.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | signor | Signor Verdi. |
| Feminine | signora | Signora Verdi. |
| Young woman | signorina | Signorina Verdi. |
| Plural | signori | Buonasera, signori. |
| Latin root | senior | Senior partner. |
- Signor Rossi will see you now.Before a surname.
- Signore e signori, buonasera.Ladies and gentlemen.
- The signora runs the whole business.Used as a noun in English.
The senior family across Europe
- Italian — signore, signor
- Spanish — señor
- Portuguese — senhor
- French — sieur, and monsieur, my lord
- English — sir and sire, both through French
Italian *signore*, from Latin *senior*, older, the comparative of *senex*, old. Latin used it as a respectful address, and the Romance languages built their courtesy titles on it.
Is sir related to signor?
Yes. Both come from Latin senior through different routes — sir arrived in English through Old French.
When do you use signorina?
Traditionally for a young or unmarried woman. Modern Italian often prefers signora for any adult woman.