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lady

lady (title or form of address)

noun LEH-dee Rare
People & Society Honorifics

Origin: English loanword, from Old English 'hlǣfdige' (bread-kneader, mistress of the house).

Usage Note

Lady is used in Italian as a borrowed title, mostly for British or aristocratic women — Lady Diana, lady di ferro. It is invariable in Italian (no plural inflection) and always feminine. It can also appear informally to suggest elegance or class: una vera lady (a real lady). Not used as a generic term for 'woman' — that would be donna or signora.

Examples

"Era vestita come una vera lady."

Natural Translation

She was dressed like a real lady.

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