Word Confusion: Madam versus Madame

Posted June 27, 2023 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

I have to confess I didn’t really think there would be a difference in this word confusion regarding Madam versus Madame. Turns out I was wrong. Who knew???

Madam is any woman above a certain age whom you address respectfully. Well, okay, most of them. I’d have a hard time being respectful to a woman who manages a whorehouse. I guess it would depend upon the way she treats her employees.

Madame, on the other hand, is always a married French woman — or a non-English/non-American woman.

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Exploring Later . . .

You may want to explore “Honorifics” in the post on abbreviations, personal titles in the post on capitalization, or “Honorifics“.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Madam	Madame
Woman in Sunhat and Spectacles is in the public domain, via PxFuel. — Madam looks content yet curious.	Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835), an oil painting by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Part of Grammar:
Noun Plural: madams	Noun Plural: Mesdames, Madames
Used to address or refer to a woman in a polite or respectful way [Madam] Used to address a woman at the start of a formal or business letter [Madam] Used before a title to address or refer to a female holder of that position A woman who runs a brothel The female head of a household	[Originally used only to a woman of rank or authority; almost always capitalized] A title or form of address used of or to a married (or previously married) French-speaking woman Used as a title of respect for a distinguished older woman, who is not of American or British origin Used as a title for women in artistic or exotic occupations, such as musicians or fortune-tellers
Examples:
Can I help you, madam? Dear Madam, . . . Madam President will see you now. It’s madam who sets the fees. Every once in a while the madam and I will order a book that we’ve read about.	“You and madame can take your places aboard the freighter any time you choose” (Butterworth). Gustave Flaubert became notorious for his novel Madame Bovary. Madame Du Barry had been born Marie Jeanne Bécu and became mistress to Louis XV. Madame Tussaud’s is a famous waxworks museum in London. Madame Eva bent once more over the crystal ball. Madame Blavatsky cofounded the Theosophical Society in New York.
Derivatives:
Abbreviation: ma’am	Abbreviation: Mdme, Mme, Mmes (plural)
History of the Word:
Middle English from the Old French ma dame meaning my lady, from the Latin domina, meaning mistress.	French; compare with madam.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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