Talk:madam

Palindrome

Madam is a palindrome, ie a word or expression that reads the same in either direction, read forward or backward

The etymology is probably wrong. The word does not derive from doma meaning lady but from domus (Latin) meaning home. And mea domina means house mistress. This word then became the French madame and then English madam. Please look into it. Apoorv khurasia 13:10, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

You're right. Amended. Widsith 13:21, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

I hope English speakers from other parts of the world can tell us if madam is used as term of address for a lady customer outside the UK.Barbara Shack 13:20, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

Yes, "dame" in French, is from "domina", not directly from "domus", but from "domina, domna", as found in French etymology dictionaries.

Domina is from "domus" (see Latin dictionaries) https://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/dame

Plural

It should be mentioned that "mesdames" is the plural.

I believe that's the plural of madame (with an e), not madam. Equinox ◑ 21:38, 19 August 2016 (UTC)

Yes, it's the plural in French, the plural is "mesdames, as the "mes" is the plural of "ma". English borrowed the "madame" but not the plural form, because it loses the meaning of "ma" meaning "my" in French.

@Equinox:

Madam  (plural Mes·dames or Mad·ams) 
1.  used at the beginning of a formal letter to a woman, especially one whose name is not known (formal) 
2.  used before the name of a woman's official position as a term of address Madam President.
https://oed.com/oed2/00137965

--Backinstadiums (talk) 17:12, 7 July 2021 (UTC)

Madam: used to address a: 1. woman in letter 2. woman official

1.  used at the beginning of a formal letter to a woman, especially one whose name is not known (formal) 
2.   used before the name of a woman's official position as a term of address
Madam President
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009

--Backinstadiums (talk) 20:00, 10 April 2020 (UTC)