![Curtis Honeycutt](/images/resized/images/news/2024/464_feb23/1_100_100.jpg)
When it comes to addressing a woman, we have several prefixes to choose from. I previously investigated “Mr.” and “Master.” Today, we’ll tackle how to address women formally.
As a born and bred Okie, I still call an elder female “ma’am.” This polite way to address a woman comes from the Old French phrase “ma dame” (my lady). Ma dame became “madam,” and then, as it often does, the word got shortened. Generally, madam (or ma’am) was used to address a married woman.
Let’s talk about the term...