Don (honorific)
Don (usually preceded in
English by
the), derived from
Latin Dominus, is a
Spanish (
pron. IPA: []) and
Portuguese honorific (generally
Dom).
Usually a mark of high esteem for a distinguished
Christian hidalgo or
fidalgo, that is, a
nobleman.
Its abbreviation, particularly in Portuguese, is "D." It is still used in reference to
priests, like the
French Dom. The use is roughly comparable to the style
The Honourable of British custom, but closer to
Lord or
Lady, although the analogy is a loose one, at best. The female version is
Doña (Spanish, pron. IPA: []) and
Dona (Portuguese, pron. IPA: []) abbreviated "Dª".
Don/
Dom or
Doña/
Dona is attached to a person's
given name. For example, if
Señor Diego de la Vega is to be addressed as a
don, then the correct form of address would not be "Don de la Vega", but "Don Diego".
At Oxford and Cambridge universities, a senior professor is often referred to as a
Don.
In
North America,
Don is sometimes used as an honorific for a
Mafia crime boss. This term is also used by figures in Mexican organized crime.
In Spain the title has come to refer to a graduate of High School.
*
Don Camillo*
Don Carlos*
Don Giovanni*
Don Juan*
Don Pasquale*
Don Quixote*
Dom Pedro
