Don (honorific)
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Don (usually preceded in English by the), derived from Latin Dominus, is a Spanish (pron. IPA: [d̪on]) and Portuguese honorific (generally Dom, IPA: [dõ]).
Usually a mark of high esteem for a distinguished Christian hidalgo or fidalgo, that is, a nobleman.
Its abbreviation, particularly in Portuguese, is "D." It is still used in reference to priests, like the French Dom. The use is roughly comparable to the style The Honourable of British custom, but closer to Lord or Lady, although the analogy is a loose one, at best. The female version is Doña (Spanish, pron. IPA: ['d̪o.ɲa]) and Dona (Portuguese, pron. IPA: ['do.nɐ]) abbreviated "Dª".
Don/Dom or Doña/Dona is attached to a person's given name. For example, if Señor Diego de la Vega is to be addressed as a don, then the correct form of address would not be "Don de la Vega", but "Don Diego de la Vega" or simply "Don Diego".
At Oxford and Cambridge universities, members of the academic staff are often referred to as a Don. In practice within Oxford it is used to refer to fellows of the colleges. At Cambridge it is rarely, if ever, used.
In North America, Don is sometimes used as an honorific for a Mafia crime boss. This term is also used by figures in Mexican organized crime.[citation needed]
In Spain the title is used to refer to a graduate of High School. Nowadays it is used as a standard title in mailing addresses, similarly as Mister is in English, but attached to the given name and generally preceded by the acronym Sr. (for Señor): Sr. Don Diego de la Vega or simply Don Diego de la Vega.
In Italy, it is the style to address a noble (as distinct from reigning) prince (principe) or duke (duca), and their children and agnatic descendants. Its feminine is donna. It is also used to refer to a priest, or, less commonly, to monks.
