Re: "Madam"/"Madame" Chair/man/person (was: Umlauts)

--- Christophe Grandsire
<christophe.grandsire@...> wrote:
> En réponse à John Cowan :
>
>
> >I think that "Madame" in English is solely a
> >title.  The brothelkeeper is
> >a "madam", but she may be addressed as
> >"Madame".
>
> I've never heard "Madame" used in English in
> any other context than
> brothels, so I find it hard to believe that it
> could be used in other
> contexts. I think I would have heard it :)) .
I understand "a madam" to be the keeper of a
brothel. "Madam" /'m&dm/ is the usual English
vocative of the title of respect for ladies
(noting that "a madam" is not the same thing as
"a lady"!). "Madame" /m@'d&m/ is the hoitytoity
(i.e., French ;) ) version of same. "Ma'am"
/m&:m/ seems typically American and is of course
a contraction of madam; and shouldn't be confused
with "mam" /m&m/, which is the Hiberno-English
for "mum".

"Madam" is therefore irregular in English. It's
nom/obl. forms all refer to a brothel operator;
while the vocative is a general term of address
for any lady. Madams included! ;)

Padraic.



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