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Mayor

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mayor¹

  • /ˈmɛə̯/ UK
  • /ˈmeɪ̯.ɚ/ US
  • /ˈmɛɚ/
  • /ˈmɛɹ/

Sounds like Mayer, mare (dialectally) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ), -eɪə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s

Proto-Indo-European *-yōs

Proto-Indo-European *méǵyōs

Proto-Italic *majjōs

Latin maior

Old French mairebor.

Middle English maire

English mayor

From Middle English maire, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), a substantivation of Old French maire (“greater”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”). Doublet of major. Cognate with Old High German meior (“estate manager, steward, bailiff”) (modern German Meier), Middle Dutch meier (“administrator, steward, bailiff”) (modern Dutch meier). Displaced Old English burgealdor (“a ruler of a city, mayor, citizen”), burhġerēfa (“boroughreeve”), and portġerēfa (“portreeve”).

noun mayors · maiere · maieur · mar · mayere · meer

  1. The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally. The office of mayor has been the tomb of many political ambitions.
  2. abbreviation, ellipsis, historical Ellipsis of mayor of the palace, the royal stewards of the Frankish Empire.mayor of the palace
  3. historical Synonym of mair, various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland.
  4. Ireland, obsolete, rare A member of a city council.
  5. historical, obsolete A high justice, an important judge.
  6. US A largely ceremonial position in some municipal governments that presides over the city council while a contracted city manager holds actual executive power.
  7. figuratively, humorous A local VIP, a muckamuck or big shot reckoned to lead some local group. In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayor of the Pig Market’.

Similar: mayoress, burgomaster, boroughmaster, boroughreeve, portreeve, provost, Lord Provost, praetor

Mayor²

Where it comes from

* As an English surname, variant of Mayer.

* As a Spanish surname, from the adjective mayor (“older, elder”).

* Also as a Spanish surname, from the archaic noun major (“mayor, chief”), itself related to the above.

* As a Jewish surname, variant of Meyer.

proper noun

  1. A surname from Anglo-Norman.

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