Madam
Encyclopedia
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. The French is in turn derived from the Latin
mea domina, meaning "my mistress (of the house)". "Madam" may also refer to a woman who owns or runs a brothel
, though the abbreviated form "ma'am" is not used in this respect.
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.
After addressing her as "Your Majesty" once, it is correct to address the Queen of the United Kingdom as "Ma'am" for the remainder of a conversation.
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?. Other senior government officials such as Secretaries of State
(Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice
, for example) are formally addressed as "madam secretary."
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.
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
.
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.
and above in British
police
forces and female Commissioned Officers
and Warrant Officer
s 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 officer
s as "ma'am", but rather by their respective ranks and surnames.
, the eldest of the King's brothers.
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
used for women
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs.
Mrs.
Mrs or Mrs. is a honorific used for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title, such as Dr, Lady, or Dame. In most Commonwealth countries, a full stop is not used with the title...
or Ms.
Ms.
Ms. or Ms is an English honorific used with the last name or full name of a woman. According to The Emily Post Institute, Ms...
, and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this sense is mes dames. The French is in turn derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
mea domina, meaning "my mistress (of the house)". "Madam" may also refer to a woman who owns or runs a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
, though the abbreviated form "ma'am" is not used in this respect.
Use as a form of address
Madam is used in direct address when the lady's name is not known; for example: May I help you, madam? In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, "ma'am" is usually used. The male equivalent is "sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
". 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
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
diminutive of madame is mademoiselle
Miss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
, 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
Miss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
" which is the current meaning of mademoiselle in French.
Formal address and protocol
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" for the remainder of a conversation.
United States usage
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
Michael Walsh
- Sportspeople :* Michael Walsh , retired English soccer player* Michael Walsh , English football player with Bangor City who played professionally for Chester City...
addressed Senator Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
(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?. Other senior government officials such as Secretaries of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
(Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, for example) are formally addressed as "madam secretary."
Other countries
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, since the equivalent title for men, "Mr.", makes no reference to marital status.In Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
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.
In English the wife of a holder of a non-British hereditary knighthood such as the German or Austrian Ritter
Ritter
Ritter is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr"...
, the Dutch-Belgian Ridder
Ridder (title)
Ridder is a noble title in the Netherlands and Belgium. The collective term for its holders in a certain locality is the Ridderschap . In the Netherlands and Belgium no female equivalent exists...
, the French-Belgian Chevalier
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
and the Italian Cavaliere
Italian honorifics
-Nobility:As part of the republican constitution that became effective in Italy on 1 January 1948, titles of nobility ceased to be recognized in law , and the organ of state which had regulated them, the Consulta Araldica, was eliminated...
is called Madame. The English male equivalent is Chevalier
Chevalier
Chevalier is a class of membership in a French Order of Chivalry or order of merit.* a member of the Ordre National du Mérite* a rank in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres* a rank in the Legion d'honneur* a member of the Order of Palmes académiques...
.
In composed titles
Madam is also used as the equivalent of Mister (Mr)MR
MR, Mr, mr, or mR may refer to:*Mr. an honorific title of menPlaces:* Morocco country code * Martinique country code...
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
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
, a female speaker of the house of commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
is Madam Speaker or Miss Boothroyd.
However, the title Madam Justice is used in third-person reference: Madam Justice Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour
Louise Arbour, is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda...
, 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
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
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.
Military and police usage
"Ma'am" is commonly used to address female officers of the rank of InspectorInspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
and above in British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces and female Commissioned Officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s in the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
.
In the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
, "ma'am" is used to address female commissioned officers and Warrant Officers. U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
recruits and U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
trainees do not address female non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s as "ma'am", but rather by their respective ranks and surnames.
Ancien régime France
Under the Ancien régime, Madame was the wife of MonsieurMonsieur
' is an honorific title that used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It is also a customary French title of respect and term of address for a French-speaking man, corresponding to such English titles as Mr...
, the eldest of the King's brothers.
For other royal French styles
- Dauphin
- Madame RoyaleMadame RoyaleMadame Royale was a style customarily used for the eldest living unmarried daughter of a reigning French monarch.It was similar to the style Monsieur, which was typically used by the King's second son...
- MonsieurMonsieur' is an honorific title that used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It is also a customary French title of respect and term of address for a French-speaking man, corresponding to such English titles as Mr...
- Fils de FranceFils de FranceFils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
- Petit-Fils de France
- Prince du SangPrince du SangA prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
- First Prince of the Blood
- Prince of the Blood