ladyship, your

ladyship, your
   A highly respectful expression used to a woman who would otherwise be addressed as Lady Smith or Jones, the wife of a peer or a peeress in her own right. The speaker is likely to be a servant. It is the vocative used by Mellors, the gamekeeper, to his mistress in Lady Chatterley’s Lover before their relationship develops. In Fanny Burney’s Evelina Mrs Selwyn congratulates the young heroine on her coming marriage to Lord Orville:
   The moment she had shut the door, ‘Your Ladyship,’ said she. ‘Ma’am!’ cried I, staring. ‘Oh, the sweet innocent! So you don’t know what I mean? - but, my dear, my sole view is to accustom you a little to your dignity elect, lest, when you are addressed by your title, you should look another way, from an apprehension of listening to a discourse not meant for you to hear.’ ‘Your ladyship’ could by used less seriously to a woman, especially a young one, who was acting like a little madam, simply to comment on her high-handedness.

A dictionary of epithets and terms of address . . 2015.

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  • your —    Used vocatively as a replacement for ‘you’ in a number of titles or mock titles, such as: Your Eminence, Your Grace, Your Majesty, Your royal Highness, Your Honour, Your Worship, Your Reverence, Your Lordship, Your Ladyship, Your High and… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

  • Ladyship — La dy*ship, n. The rank or position of a lady; given as a title (preceded by her or your). [1913 Webster] Your ladyship shall observe their gravity. B. Jonson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ladyship — ► NOUN (Her/Your Ladyship) ▪ a respectful form of reference or address to a Lady …   English terms dictionary

  • your ladyship — and ● lady …   Useful english dictionary

  • ladyship — [lād′ē ship΄] n. 1. the rank or position of a lady 2. [usually L ] a title used in speaking to or of a woman holding the rank of lady: preceded by Your or Her …   English World dictionary

  • ladyship — noun 1 your ladyship/her ladyship used as a way of speaking to or talking about a woman with the title of Lady: Her ladyship is waiting for you in the drawing room. 2 BrE spoken a humorous way of talking about a woman who thinks she is very… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Ladyship — La|dy|ship [ leıdi,ʃıp ] 1. ) Her Ladyship used for talking about a woman with an important social position and the title of Lady : Her Ladyship will see you now. 2. ) Your Ladyship used for talking to a woman with an important social position… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Ladyship — [[t]le͟ɪdiʃɪp[/t]] Ladyships N VOC; N PROPER: det poss N (politeness) In Britain, you use the expressions Your Ladyship, Her Ladyship, or Their Ladyships when you are addressing or referring to female members of the nobility or the wives of… …   English dictionary

  • ladyship — noun Date: 13th century the condition of being a lady ; rank of lady used as a title for a woman having the rank of lady < her Ladyship is not at home > < if your Ladyship please > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ladyship — la|dy|ship [ˈleıdiʃıp] n your/her ladyship a) used as a way of speaking to or talking about a woman with the title of Lady →↑lordship b) BrE spoken use this to talk about a woman who thinks she is very important used humorously ▪ Do you think her …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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