LORD, a title of honour given to those who arenoble either by birth or creation. In this sense, itamounts to much the same as peer of the realm, orlord of parliament. The title is by courtesy also givento all the sons of dukes and marquises, and to theeldest sons of earls; and it is also a title of honour be-stowed on those who are honourable by their employ-ments; as lord advocate, lord chamberlain, lord chan-cellor, &c. The word is Saxon, but abbreviated fromtwo syllables into one; for it was originally Illaford,which, by dropping the aspiration, became Lasford,and afterwards, by contraction, Lord. "The etymo-logy of the word (says J. Coates) is well worth ob-serving: for it was composed of illaf, "a loaf ofbread," and ford, "to give, or afford;" so that Illaford,now Lord, implies "a giver of bread;" because,in those ages, such great men kept extraordinaryhouses, and fed all the poor; for which reason theywere called givers of bread, a thing now much out ofdate; great men being fond of retaining the title,but few regarding the practice for which it was firstgiven. See LADY.