[Lexicog] First Lady

[Fritz Goerling]

Michael,

 

Well, when Willy Brandt was Mayor of Berlin, I am sure his wife was referred
to as the First Lady.

Today’s Mayor of Berlin does not have a spouse. You  wonder: What if the
head of state is a bachelor? Good question! I can think of the late Prime
Minister Sir Edward Heath, or what if Condoleeza Rice becomes the next
president of the US? I like your suggestion of CONSORT for the relationship
that exists between two people from the point of view of protocol. What if
Hillary Clinton becomes the next president? How would you refer to her and
to Bill?

As I find “escribio” in your answer, I wonder whether you are
Spanish-speaking? Has First Lady been borrowed in Spanish like in German?

 

Fritz Goerling

 

 

Michael Nicholas wrote:

 

Dear Fritz,

   The expression refers to the wife of the the head of state. The state in
question being a republic.The use of a word for the husband of the head of
state of a republic is interesting. The question gets more ionteresting when
it refers to modern organizations. How does one refer to the spouse of the
Mayor of Berlin? I refer to the official role that such a person may be
called upon to perform. What happens if the head of state - republic -  is a
bachelor? I vote for CONSORT. A word which states the relationship that
exists between two pople from the point of view of protocol. May I suggest
that we check with the office of protocol of the Federal Republic of Germany
and see what they have to say?

Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> escribió:

Today I had a discussion with anglophones (Americans and Brits) and Germans
about the use of “First Lady” which has been borrowed from American English
into German to refer to the wife of a head of state or of the federal
president or of the chancellor of Germany. Correctly it should be used for
the wife of the federal president of Germany, the latter being above the
chancellor in terms of protocol. However, it is also used for the wife of
the chancellor. But what if the chancellor is a woman like Angela Merkel?
She would not be referred to as the First Lady. And, if so, how would her
husband be referred to?

As the common language on this list is English, I would like to learn how
this issue is handled among anglophones. I learned today that neither the
Queen nor Tony Blair’s wife are referred to as First Lady. Nor was Margaret
Thatcher, who was called the “Iron Lady”

though. The Brits in the above-mentioned discussion said that “First Lady”
is an Americanism.

Well, here is ! George Bush jr.’s unusual definition: “The most important
job is not to be governor, or first lady in my case.”

Has the Americanism “First Lady” been borrowed into other languages and how
is it used?

Fritz Goerling

 

  

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