Lairddom

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The territory ruled by a Scottish laird, or the social position and authority that comes with such rank
2. The estate or lands controlled by a laird, together with the status and privileges associated with holding such a title
3. The domain governed by a laird, encompassing both the physical lands and the rank or standing conferred by that lordship

Etymology: "Laird" is the Scots and northern English form of "lord," and "lairddom" is simply that word with the suffix "-dom" attached. The root "lord" goes back to Old English "hlaford," from "hlaf" ("loaf") and "weard" ("keeper"), so a lord was originally a kind of bread-keeper, a head of household who dispensed food to his dependants. Over the centuries, "hlaford" was shortened to "lord" in southern English, while the northern dialect kept a form closer to the older pronunciation, giving "laird." The suffix "-dom" comes from Old English "-dōm," meaning a state, condition, or jurisdiction, as in "kingdom" or "freedom." Attaching it to "laird" produces a noun for the rank of a laird, or for the lands and authority that a laird held. The formation is plain and regular, so the word's history is mostly the story of "laird" itself.