'Slave I Remain' is not the full form of the word sir; Sir originated from an old french word, Sire - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 22, 2022
A post is being shared on social media which claims that the English word SIR is an acronym for ‘Slave I Remain’. According to the claim, ‘ the British, during their rule, wanted all Indians to address them as Sir.’  Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: The English word SIR is an acronym for ‘Slave I remain’.
Fact: According to etymonline.com, a website that describes the origins of English words, the word sir originated from the old French word sire. Sire was placed before a name to denote knighthood. Sire originated from the Latin word senior, which means older or elder. It says that the word is not an acronym. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We searched the internet to see if the English word sir is an acronym for Slave I Remain, but we could not find any relevant information. According to the Cambridge dictionary, sir is a noun which is ‘used as a formal and polite way of speaking to a man, especially one who you are providing a service to or who is in a position of authority.’ More definitions of sir can be read here and here.
We looked for the etymology of sir in etymonline.com, a website that describes the origins of English words, the word sir originated from the Old French word sire. Etymonline.com writes that sir is ‘Not an acronym of anything.’
Sire was placed before a name to denote knighthood. Sire originated from the Latin word senior, which means older or elder. The word sir does not mean slave i remain as claimed by the post.
To sum up, ‘Slave I Remain’ is not the full form of the word sir; Sir is originated from an old french word, Sire.