Madame Means My Lady
Madame is a French title of address. It is literally my lady, and English took both it and its shortened form.
Madame is the French title for a married or adult woman. It is a compressed phrase: *ma dame*, my lady, from Latin *domina*. English took it twice — as *madame* for French contexts and as *madam* for its own, and then shortened the second to *ma'am*. The male equivalent *monsieur* means my lord by the same logic.
- A French title. *Madame Curie.*
- Madam — the English form. *Good morning, madam.*
- Ma'am — the contraction. *Yes, ma'am.*
- A brothel keeper. *The madam of the house.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| French | madame | Madame Dupont. |
| Plural | mesdames | Mesdames et messieurs. |
| English | madam | Dear Madam. |
| Contraction | ma'am | Thank you, ma'am. |
| Male | monsieur | Monsieur Dupont. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Madame means my lady.*Ma dame*.
- Monsieur means my lord.*Mon sieur*.
- Mesdames is the plural.Both parts change.
Titles from possessive phrases
- Madame — ma dame, my lady
- Monsieur — mon sieur, my lord
- Madonna — Italian *mia donna*, my lady
- Milord — English *my lord*, borrowed back by French
- Sire — from the same Latin root as monsieur
From French *madame*, from *ma dame*, my lady, from Latin *mea domina*.
Madame or madam?
Madame is French and used in French contexts and names. Madam is the English form used in address and correspondence.
What is the plural of madame?
Mesdames, in which both the possessive and the noun become plural.