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Its earliest use:Originally Posted By: "the OED"
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; 08/21/11 08:41 PM.
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Etymology of Madam
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