Language desk
< September 26 << Aug | September | Oct >> September 28 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


September 27

Meaning[edit]

What is the meaning of Forthcoming? Chandelia16 (talk) 08:48, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Google is your friend.--William Thweatt TalkContribs 08:52, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Also Wiktionary --catslash (talk) 16:38, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Or http://www.onelook.com. --174.88.134.156 (talk) 17:32, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Knightly address[edit]

Do other European languages have an equivalent to the convention of "Sir [name]" referring to knights? I'm curious, because it seems like in many cases the equivalents of "sir" and "mister" would be identical, for example Spanish señor. --Lazar Taxon (talk) 19:38, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The Spanish Don/Doña is somewhat like Sir/Dame, for instance in requiring to be followed by the forename. Historically it was applied to members of the nobility. --rossb (talk) 22:25, 27 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I believe "Chevalier" might be used as a term of address in Francophone contexts relating to that qualification; similarly "Ritter" in Dutch and "Ridder" in German ones. See details within our article Knight. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 185.74.232.130 (talk) 14:00, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]
I think you mixed up German Ritter and Dutch/Flemish Ridder there. But as for forms of address, I'd say German "de:Herr" is the equivalent to "Sir". It has lost a bit more of its associations with knighthood, but then even in English I would usually address an unknown man as "Sir" as a form of courtesy. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 15:01, 28 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]