Highly born
Highly born ( magnificus ) is a salutation for a member of the lower nobility .
Deserved the original Titulation high and Honor first alone barons and lords (not provided the nobility came from), the salutation was "Your Excellency" gradually also for members of other lower nobility ( Knights and Noble common). Since the late Middle Ages, (bourgeois) doctors of law have also been used as the address, as they ranked with the knights according to imperial law. The salutation was associated with the right to inherit his family coat of arms and freely manage his own lands.
First of all, the noble title of the dukes was born high , who in the 17th century changed to Highness , and reigning dukes from 1844 to Highness ; The form of address for non- ruling counts (ruling: exalted ) as well as for barons or barons from the primeval nobility remained highborn.
The salutation for bourgeois dignitaries , however, was well-born , but in the 19th century they increasingly insisted on the salutation “high born”.
When addressing, you write as an abbreviation
- to male addressees "SH" for "His Highly Born"
- to female addressees "IH" for "your very best"
- as plural form in the address before the name to a married couple "IIHH"
before the name.
