From Old English 'hlafweard' (loaf-guardian) — Anglo-Saxon lordship conceived as the duty to provide bread.
A person who has authority, control, or power over others; a feudal superior; a title of honor or respect.
From Old English 'hlāford,' a contraction of 'hlāfweard,' literally 'loaf-ward' — the guardian or keeper of the bread. Composed of 'hlāf' (loaf, bread) and 'weard' (ward, guardian, keeper). In Anglo-Saxon society, the lord was the person who provided bread to his household and retainers