madame

See also: Madame

English

Alternative forms

• Madame

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame, from Old French ma dame (“my lady”). Doublet of madam and Madonna.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /məˈdɑːm/, /ˈmæ.dəm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /məˈdæm/, /məˈdɑm/, /mæˈdæm/, /mæˈdɑm/, /ˈmæ.dəm/
• Rhymes: -æm

Noun

madame (plural madames or mesdames)

1. Alternative form of madam

Derived terms

• Madame Bishop

Related terms

• croque-madame
• grande madame
• Madame Berthe's mouse lemur
• Madame Tussaud's

Anagrams

• ma'amed

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Finnish

Noun

madame

1. madam

Declension

Inflection of madame (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		madame	madamet
genitive		madamen	madamejen
partitive		madamea	madameja
illative		madameen	madameihin
		singular	plural
nominative		madame	madamet
accusative	nom.	madame	madamet
	gen.	madamen
genitive		madamen	madamejen madameinrare
partitive		madamea	madameja
inessive		madamessa	madameissa
elative		madamesta	madameista
illative		madameen	madameihin
adessive		madamella	madameilla
ablative		madamelta	madameilta
allative		madamelle	madameille
essive		madamena	madameina
translative		madameksi	madameiksi
instructive		—	madamein
abessive		madametta	madameitta
comitative		—	madameineen

Possessive forms of madame (type nalle)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	madameni	madamemme
2nd person	madamesi	madamenne
3rd person	madamensa

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French

Etymology

ma +‎ dame From Old French ma dame (my lady).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.dam/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

madame f (plural mesdames)

1. a title or form of address for a woman, formerly for a married woman and now commonly for any adult woman regardless of marital status, used both in direct and third-person address.

   Si vous êtes libre, pourriez-vous aider madame, s'il vous plaît?

   If you're free, could you help this lady, please?

2. madam, Mrs. or Ms.
3. (in children's language, childish) Lady, woman.

   Dis merci à la madame.

   Say thank you to the lady.

4. the female employer of a domestic servant
   • 2020, Laure Stéphan, « Ma Madame m’a dit qu’ils ne pouvaient plus me payer » : au Liban, le calvaire des domestiques éthiopiennes, Le Monde:

     Mazaa, 23 ans, ancienne nourrice et femme de ménage, croix autour du cou, cache son visage. « Ma Madame (employeuse) m’a dit qu’ils ne pouvaient plus me payer. [...] »

     Mazaa, 23 years old, former nanny and housekeeper, a cross around her neck, hides her face. "My madame (employer) told me they couldn't pay me anymore. [...]"

Synonyms

• dame, lady
• (title, form of address): (abbreviations) M^me, Mme.

Coordinate terms

• mademoiselle
• monsieur

Descendants

• → Russian: мада́м (madám)

Further reading

• “madame” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Italian

Noun

madame f

1. plural of madama

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• ma dame, madam, madaum, maydame, madde dame

Etymology

From Old French madame; compare dame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈdaːm(ə)/, /maˈdam(ə)/, /maː-/

Noun

madame (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address or (less often) title for a noble lady)

Descendants

• English: madam; ma'am
• Scots: madam

References

• “ma-dam(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• madama

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ami

Noun

madame f (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address to a woman)
2. madam (mistress of a household)

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame.

Noun

madame f (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address to a woman)
2. madam (mistress of a household)