Lairds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scottish landowner or proprietor of land, particularly one who holds a status similar to that of a noble
2. An individual who possesses a significant estate or property, often encompassing various lands and resources in Scotland
3. A title referring to a person of landownership, commonly associated with the gentry class in Scottish society

Etymology: The plural "lairds" is simply the regular plural of "laird," so the interesting history lies in the singular. "Laird" is a Scottish word for a landowner, and it is a doublet of "lord": the two come from the same Old English source, "hlaford," which was worn down in different ways. In northern and Scottish Middle English the word appeared as "lard" or "laverd," variant forms of "lord," and Scots preserved this older-looking shape while English proper moved on to "lord." The word then crossed into Scots as "laird," and it kept the narrow sense of a man who held land, rather than the broad sense of ruler or master that "lord" carries in English. Over time, "laird" became firmly tied to Scotland's landed society, which is why it still conjures a particular place and social order rather than a general title of rank.

Synonyms: landowners, lords