Madam, or madame, is a polite title used for women which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs. or Ms., and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this sense is mes dames. Written in front of a name, the French title is written with a capital letter 'M' and usually abbreviated to Mme or, in an older style, Mme. The French word evolved in turn from the Latin mea domina, meaning "my mistress (of the house)".[1] "Madam" may also refer to a woman who owns or runs a brothel,[2][3][4] though the abbreviated form "ma'am" is not used in this respect.
Contents |
Madam is used in direct address when the lady's name is not known; for example: May I help you, madam? In the United States and in Canada, "ma'am" is usually used. The male equivalent is "sir". When addressing a letter to the holder of a particular position without knowing the name or gender of the addressee, it is common to write "Dear Sir or Madam," (or in the United States, "Dear Sir or Madam:". using a colon (":") rather than a comma (",").) When writing to a newspaper editor, the correct English usage is to omit the "Dear" and commence simply "Sir," or "Madam," etc.
The French diminutive of madame is mademoiselle, literally meaning "my young lady", implying a daughter of a lord or master of a house. It is sometimes used in English as an alternative to "miss" which is the current meaning of mademoiselle in French.
In English-speaking countries, the wife of a foreign dignitary is called Madame (note the final "e") in direct address and formal correspondence, rather than the equivalent title in the person's native language (Señora, Frau, etc.).
After addressing her as "Your Majesty" once, it is correct to address the Queen of the United Kingdom as "Ma'am" (pronounced to rhyme with "ham", not "farm") for the remainder of a conversation.[5]
In the United States usage varies from region to region. In the Southeast, the term is used as a formal mode of address for any female, usually not a blood relative, and is entirely equivalent to "sir." Contrary to the historical connotations it may carry, the term is used regardless of race or age in the present-day south on a daily basis. It is simply courteous to say "Sir" or "Ma'am".
In a June 2009 hearing about the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Brigadier General Michael Walsh addressed Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) as "ma'am," which is the official US military title for a female officer of superior rank. Boxer took offense, stirring a media debate on terminology and military protocol by interrupting a response by Walsh and asking, "Could you say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?'".[6] Other senior government officials such as Secretaries of State (Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, for example) are formally addressed as "madam secretary."
In other English-speaking countries, such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, use of "Ma'am" or "Madam" has fallen out of common use; in fact, in 2009 the European Union issued guidance against the use of status-specific titles for women,[7][8] since the equivalent title for men, "Mr.", makes no reference to marital status.[9]
In Singapore and Malaysia, some Chinese women retain their maiden name after marriage, and some choose to be addressed in English as "Madam" instead of "Mrs." However, this is common only among the wealthy.[10]
In English the wife of a holder of a non-British hereditary knighthood such as the German or Austrian Ritter, the Dutch-Belgian Ridder, the French-Belgian Chevalier and the Italian Cavaliere is called Madame. The English male equivalent is Chevalier.
Madam is also used as the equivalent of Mister (Mr) in composed titles, such as Madam Justice, Madam Speaker, Madam President. In the UK, job titles such as President or Prime Minister are not used as titles, as such. By the precedent set by Betty Boothroyd, a female speaker of the house of commons is Madam Speaker or Miss Boothroyd.
However, the title Madam Justice is used in third-person reference: Madam Justice Louise Arbour, Madam Justice Arbour.
In the United States Supreme Court, in the Canada Supreme Court and the superior courts of Australia, rather than adopting the title Madam Justice for female justices, the title Mrs. Justice was replaced simply by Justice. Likewise, female presidents of the Republic of Ireland have preferred to be addressed simply as President in direct address, rather than Madam President, although Mr. President is in use in the U.S. with there being no claims of discrimination. Female judges of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales are titled Mrs. Justice rather than Madam Justice, regardless of marital status. However, District Judges are referred to as either Madam or Ma'am.
"Ma'am" is commonly used to address female officers of the rank of Inspector and above in British police forces and female Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers in the British Armed Forces.
In the United States Armed Forces and the Canadian Forces, "ma'am" is used to address female commissioned officers and Warrant Officers. U.S. Navy recruits and U.S. Air Force trainees do not address female non-commissioned officers as "ma'am", but rather by their respective ranks and surnames.
Under the Ancien régime, Madame was the wife of Monsieur, the eldest of the King's brothers.
|
||||||||