Madam

Madam /ˈmædəm/, or, as French, madame /ˈmædəm/ or mə-dam', is a polite form of address for women, often contracted to ma'am /ˈmæm/. The abbreviation is "Mme" and the plural is mesdames (abbreviated Mmes). The term was borrowed from the French madame (French pronunciation: ​[maˈdam]), which means "my lady".

Use as a form of address

In speaking, 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, "ma'am" is usually used, except in regions such as New England where particular ties to England still exist. Even then, "madam" tends to only be used when addressing the elderly, with "ma'am" being used for a younger woman. The male equivalent is "sir".

Formal protocol

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 2009 the European Parliament issued guidance on the use of gender-neutral language which discouraged the use of terms which indicate a woman's marital status.

Madame (clothing)

Background

Madame was established in the early 1980s, based in Ludhiana, Punjab. There are over 800 employees. The brand is targeted at teenage and younger women.

Retail

The brand has undergone notable expansion, opening its first exclusive store in Mumbai in 2002. There were 58 exclusive stores in 42 cities in 2009. There were 64 exclusive stores in 2010, and also 600 multi-brand outlets. In 2014, there were 102 exclusive stores across India and also four stores in Saudi Arabia.

References

Madame (1961 film)

Madame Sans-Gêne (1961) is a Spanish-Italian-French film co-production, filmed in Eastmancolor and Technirama, and distributed in the U.S. by Embassy Pictures. The film was directed by Christian-Jaque and adapted from the 1893 play by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau.

The film stars Sophia Loren and a cast of French and Italian players, including Robert Hossein, Julien Bertheau, Renaud Mary, Léa Gray, Gianrico Tedeschi, and Marina Berti.

Background

Madame Sans-Gêne has a legendary history in France. It is based on the life of Catherine Hübscher, born in Goldbach-Altenbach (Haut-Rhin) in 1753. She started off as a laundress who used to wash and iron Napoleon's clothes when he was a common corporal. She married François Joseph Lefebvre, an Army sergeant who became Marshal of France and was later elevated by Napoleon I to the rank of Duke of Danzig. She was known by the nickname of Madame Sans-Gêne, (literally Mrs No Embarrassment) because of her behaviour, free speech and lack of proper manners at court.