Madam

Madam (/ˈmædəm/), or madame (/ˈmædəm/ or /məˈdɑːm/), is a polite and formal form of address for women, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced /ˈmæm/ in American English and /ˈmɑːm/ in British English). The term derives from the French madame (French pronunciation: ​); in French, ma dame literally means 'my lady'. In French, the abbreviation is 'Mme' or 'Mme' and the plural is mesdames (abbreviated 'Mmes' or 'Mmes'). Madam (/ˈmædəm/), or madame (/ˈmædəm/ or /məˈdɑːm/), is a polite and formal form of address for women, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced /ˈmæm/ in American English and /ˈmɑːm/ in British English). The term derives from the French madame (French pronunciation: ​); in French, ma dame literally means 'my lady'. In French, the abbreviation is 'Mme' or 'Mme' and the plural is mesdames (abbreviated 'Mmes' or 'Mmes'). In speaking, Madam is used in direct address when the lady's name is not known; for example: May I help you, madam? The male equivalent is 'sir'. After addressing her as 'Your Majesty' once, it is correct to address the Queen of the United Kingdom as 'Ma'am' for the remainder of a conversation (to rhyme with 'jam' or 'ham'). In 2009 the European Parliament issued guidance on the use of gender-neutral language which discouraged the use of terms which indicate a woman's marital status. In the UK, the wife of a holder of a non-British hereditary knighthood such as the German, Austrian or German-Belgian Ritter, the Dutch-Belgian Ridder, the French-Belgian Chevalier and the Italian Cavaliere is called Madame. The English male equivalent is Chevalier.