[Lexicog] First Lady

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Fritz,
   Over here in Spain a few media people started to refer to the wife of the President of the government - presidente del gobierno - as the Primera Dama.It was quickly pointed out that Doña Sofía  - is Su Majestad la Reina - Her Majesty the Queen, and as such from the point of protocol the First Lady. I have been told that the mayor of a major city in Germany is homosexual and lives with his partner. So First Lady here would be out of place. Queen Victoria's husband was the Prine Consort.
Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> escribió:
              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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