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Madam (/ ˈ m æ d əm /), or madame (/ ˈ m æ d əm / or / m ə ˈ d ɑː m /), [1] is a polite and formal form of address for women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am [2] (pronounced / ˈ m æ m / in American English [2] and this way but also / ˈ m ɑː m / in British English [3]). The term derives from the French madame ...
The term is no longer commonly used because of its connotative meaning: [citation needed] "mistress" is used to refer to a woman with whom a married man is having an affair. Madam or Ma'am (/ m æ m / in General American and either / m æ m /, / m ɑː m /, or / m ə m / in Received Pronunciation. [19]): for women, a term of general respect or ...
Madame may refer to: Madam , civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French madame Madam (prostitution) , a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel
Mrs. (American English) [1] or Mrs (British English; [2] [3] standard English pronunciation: / ˈ m ɪ s ɪ z / ⓘ MISS-iz) is a commonly used English honorific for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title or rank, such as Doctor, Professor, President, Dame, etc.
Messrs. or Messieurs is a historically used term to address many men rather than "Mr Pink, Mr White, et al." Messrs is the abbreviation (pronounced "messers") for messieurs and is used in English. Mesdames addresses many women; pronounced "Meydammes". On occasion, one may use "Sir" or "Madam" by itself as the salutation, with nothing preceding.
The most common honorifics in modern English are usually placed immediately before a person's name. Honorifics used (both as style and as form of address) include, in the case of a man, "Mr." (irrespective of marital status), and, in the case of a woman, previously either of two depending on marital status: "Miss" if unmarried and "Mrs." if married, widowed, or divorced; more recently, a third ...
The word comes from Old English hlǣfdige; the first part of the word is a mutated form of hlāf, "loaf, bread", also seen in the corresponding hlāford, "lord".The second part is usually taken to be from the root dig-, "to knead", seen also in dough; the sense development from bread-kneader, or bread-maker, or bread-shaper, to the ordinary meaning, though not clearly to be traced historically ...
Queens and princesses were plain Madame. Nobles of the rank of duke used Monsieur le duc/Madame la duchesse, non-royal princes used Prince/Princesse (without the Monsieur/Madame), other noblemen plain Monsieur and Madame. Only servants ever addressed their employer as Monsieur le comte or Madame la baronne.