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Anyway, the reason I am posting is that I am attempting to understand the word Madam. I was taught, even when attending University and gaining my English Lit. Degree, that the definition and accepted terminology for such was, "a kept woman" or "a woman who runs a brothel/cat house".
Today, now that I currently reside within the "South", I have been informed of an alternate definition. That of, a term of respect. After having to stamp down my ire and indignation, and an interesting argument debate, I made the difficult decision to employ the ever ready and all powerful, internet; where upon I mashed in the word and Merriam Webster Dictionary spewed the following catenated mess at me:Quote:plural mes·dames : lady —used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman
2
: mistress 1 —used as a title formerly with the given name but now with the surname or especially with a designation of rank or office
3
: the female head of a house of prostitution
4
: the female head of a household : wife
I am so confused! Where and how or why did this word evolve to have a dual meaning of both a woman of respect and a woman of social faux pas???
And I shall refrain from mentioning that of Mistress for now.
Rev. Alimae
1 a. A form of respectful or polite address (substituted for the name) originally used by servants in speaking to their mistress, and by people generally in speaking to a woman of high rank; subsequently used with progressively extended application, and now, though no longer as frequently as in previous centuries, employed in addressing a woman of whatever rank or position; the female counterpart of sir
Later on it came to have "various derisive or opprobrious uses" like "An affected fine lady" and "A female brothel-keeper".
As for "why", well that's semantic change for you.
Last edited by goofy; 08/21/2011 8:41 PM.
I think there are many regional uses of these terms that have changed over the years.
I still remember when we moved to the South and my mom called someone to ask about buying a crib. The lady she spoke to was horrified, as a crib is a whorehouse. She should have asked for a 'baby bed'. *lol*
~===,===,=^=<
with whom I was eating at this small cafe, ordered
"taverns". I figured he knew what he was eating and I could
not go too far wrong. Turned out to be hamburger and
tomato sauce on a bun, what I'd call a "sloppy Joe". The
waitress asked us, when we had finished, if we wanted
"bars". I had not a clue. Turned out to be brownie-like
cake. So there are many different regional differences.
And these were less than 150 miles from my home and in the
same state.
----please, draw me a sheep----
Rev. Alimae
~===,===,=^=<
Here a "crib" can be a place to store grain, like corn, as
in "corn crib".
----please, draw me a sheep----
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