Lords

The term lord denotes a person who holds authority over others or over land, often within a hierarchy of nobility. The word derives from Old English hlāford, from hlāf "loaf" and weard "guard" or "warden," historically signifying a bread-giver or guardian. In general use, a lord may be a landowner, a noble, a ruler, or a master.

In feudal Europe, lords owned or controlled lands and granted fiefs to vassals in exchange for military and other services. They held judicial and fiscal authority within their manors, collected rents, and owed allegiance to a higher lord or king. The relationship was governed by fealty and homage, and lords could be vassals to greater lords or lieges to their sovereign.

In modern states with nobility, "lord" persists as a title. In the United Kingdom, it is used for peers (barons, viscounts, earls, marquesses, dukes) and for bishops; many are Lords Temporal or Lords Spiritual. A life peerage or hereditary peerage determines seating in the legislative body of the realm. The term may also describe a lord of the manor, a historical landowner with certain rights over land and tenants.

Globally, the concept of a lord exists in many cultures under different names. Translated as lord, the daimyo of feudal Japan were powerful regional lords; in Scotland a landowner may be called a laird, while the English term "lord of the manor" refers to historical manorial rights.

The usage and social meaning of lords have shifted from broad political power to more formal or ceremonial roles in many countries, though the word remains closely tied to land, authority, and nobility.