Definition 1: A formal title of courtesy for a woman without regard to the marital status reflected in "Mrs." and "Miss."
Usage 1: Today’s abbreviation for "mistress" is followed by a period in the US. Outside the US, periods are often omitted after abbreviations that end on the same letter as the full form. Those who follow this (British) style write, "Mr" but "Rev.," "Ms" but "Prof." No one seems to place a period after "Miss." Interestingly, "mistress" is the full form of "Miss" [mis], referring to an unmarried woman, "Mrs." [‘mis-iz] referring to a married woman, and "Ms.," referring to a woman regardless of marital status. All are always capitalized.
Suggested usage: Today’s word is most popular in the US, where it originated, since it refers to females the same as the masculine Mr. "mister." It is associated with feminism, which promoted it in the 80s (especially through the magazine "Ms."). It is used by those women who do not wish their form of address to convey their marital status and by anyone addressing a woman without knowing her marital status: "Mr. Cawley, would like you and Ms. Flower like a seat near the buffet?"
Etymology: The full form of today’s word (mistress) descended from "maistresse," the feminine of Old French maistre "master" derived from Latin magister "master, chief, head." The original underlying root was *mag- "great," which went on to give us "much," "mickle," "might," and Latin magnus "great." The root of "magnus" is visible in many borrowings from Latin, such as "magnanimous," "magnify," "magnificent." In Sanskrit this root became maha "great," seen in maharajah "great king" from maha "great" + raja "king," a relative of our "royal." (Mr. Marcos Daniel of Brazil wanted to know more about gender and the English forms of polite address. We hope to have addressed the issue satisfactorily.)
?Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com
Here is a possible link between PIE etymology of Dr Language and feminist movement of 20th century. I have quoted only a beginning of an article of Japan Times (5 November, anno 2000) for it is at least six times as large in the original.
Missing piece of puzzle in story of ‘Ms.’
U.S. feminist reveals her part in now common form of address
By ANGELA JEFFS
It was the American futurologist Larry Taub who rang to ask whether I was interested in writing about Sheila Michaels. So began a three-way conversation by e-mail between Japan, New York and wherever Larry was landing to promote his latest book.
Sheila, he said, was instrumental in shifting the address Ms. into common usage. Which was a surprise, because I—like many others, I suspect—had somehow always assumed that Gloria Steinem was responsible, through the founding of the magazine Ms in 1971. But Steinem never claimed it as her own invention; rather she admitted in an interview that it was during the time when she and her cofounders were in the process of coming up with a name for their new publication that she first heard the term Ms. from a friend who had heard it on the radio.
"That would have been me," said Sheila Michaels, who has been living on New York’s East Side for over 40 years, mostly working as a writer, editor and publicist. "In 1969 I was invited to be interviewed on WBAI, a popular liberal New York FM radio station. Feminism was hot news, and the interviewer wanted a group of us to explain what was behind the movement." Michaels had been looking for a chance to talk about Ms., so when there was a lull in the discussion, she plunged in, although most feminists were discouraged.
That interview marked a significant turning point in what Michaels describes as "a timid eight-year crusade." The pronunciation "miz" traces back to a mid-Southern childhood. "Growing up in St. Louis, Mo., I’d developed a curiosity about a woman known as Miz Noble who lived behind our house. "I wondered whether this meant she was unmarried or a widow. I liked the ambiguity. Hence when the radio interviewer asked about the pronunciation of Ms., I answered, ‘Miz.’ "
There is still informal use of ‘Master’ (never abbreviated) in the UK. It is usually used to refer to a young boy. I got the odd few letters sent to me as Master Garzo when I was younger. However, it never had anything to do with marital status.
So many women hate Ms, that it has become bad form to address a woman thus, unless she has previously stated that that is how she wishes to be known. In fact the use of Ms, rather than not indicating marital status in the UK, has become the title of a divorcée. In many other languages the traditional title for an unmarried woman is the diminutive of that for a married woman. Logically, those languages have decided to use the married woman’s title for all women. However, when you try that in the UK (all women are Mrs) you run into many who want to be Miss. Sometimes I just want to keep the red flag flying, comrades.
- Comrade Garzo. Who is glad he is not a Mr, Master, Mrs, Ms or Miss!
In the early ‘70’s, the French came up with an equivalent of Ms., "madelle", but it never really caught on. I’m not sure what its abbreviation was, but more than likely md or ml.
Several things I note interesting in the whole English polite address titles.
1. It is 120% impossible to use any of titles with a given name.
Thus Mr John is really a bad English. This and the following points may not be exclusive to English.
2. Mrs is used to signify that the speaker regards addressee as a wife to some male person.
Thus Mrs Thomas More is an address title for his wife Alice. It does not mean Thomas is a unisex given name like Daniel, Gabriel, and so forth.
3. Madame can be shortened to ma’am. The latter, however, can only be used independently, i.e. without any names following it.
4. Mr and Madame can be used in combination with certain governmental positions (only in America?).
Madeleine Albright was called Madame Secretary when Bill Clinton was Mister President.
Flaminius,
[sup]who was elated for 30 minutes when he became Master Flaminius upon receiving MA.[/sup]
I always thought this Mister-President-ing and Madam-Speaker-ing was rather superfluous. It happens in the UK too. All speeches in the House of Commons are addressed to Madam/Mister Speaker. I remember just after Betty Boothroyd was led to the Speaker’s Chair that a senior politician accidentally started a speech with ‘Mister Speaker’. The house errupted with jeers, and our Betty had to rise to her feet and explain to the embarrased politician that she was a woman, and preferred to be referred to as such.
The US pronunciation of ma’am as /ma?m/ is creeping into the UK. Attendents at the Royal Household are expected to address her Maj as /mum/.
In plenty of non-European countries it is acceptable to address someone by their given name, even expected.
If an ambassador is His Excellency, how could we call a president or a premier in order not to commit your mister-president-ing? Perhaps His Highness, or His Effectiveness?
Looking round the world, however, one can easily spot a regime or two whose head should deserve titles like His Censorship or His Self-Righteousness.
Interesting points, Flam. A few colloquial insights, if you’re interested:
[quote author=Flaminius link=board=todays;num=1086859675;start=0#3 date=06/10/04 at 10:05:57]1. It is 120% impossible to use any of titles with a given name.
Thus Mr John is really a bad English. This and the following points may not be exclusive to English.
In my church, we often refer to adults with the Mr. or Ms. title before their common name, when speaking to children.
Did you tell Ms. Pat what you did yesterday?
Let’s walk over to the hut and help Mr. Alan with the clean-up.
This is admittedly and blatantly "incorrect form", but it tends to blur the line of formality and familiarity rather than simply sounding absurd.
I think presidents of nation states tend to go for being ‘excellencies’ too (I’m sure there’s a joke in there).
I love the way that in the UK Commons members address one another in the third person with things such as "the Honourable Member for Westbury," "my Right Honourable friend," "the Right Honourable and Learned Member for Sedgefield," or "the Honourable and Gallant Member for Devizes". The worst thing that can happen is ‘to be named’, that’s when the Speaker is moving to suspend you…
To my Rt. Hon. Colleagues,
Would it not be wonderful to call these politicians by what they really are, rather than what they pretend to be? Think of the possibilities!!
The Right Dishonourable Gentleman, His Foolhardiness, His Most Infinitely Assinine ...
the mind boggles and the list goes on!
[quote author=gailr link=board=todays;num=1086859675;start=0#8 date=06/10/04 at 12:14:03]Formal adress for clerics can be similarly pompous:
His Holiness, His Eminence, The Most Reverend, The Right Reverend, etc.
My personal favorite is The Venerable.
Ms gailr The Irreverend
We have the majority of these titles in the Anglican Church . . . and I cringe when I hear them!
Once, after a new priest had been inducted at our quaint, but High Church, I asked him how he’d prefer to be addressed, Father or Reverend.
"Call me, Peter," he replied. "That’s my Christian name."
I immediately liked him. A "people" person, down-to-earth. No putting on airs. He was a PRIEST!
1. It is 120% impossible to use any of titles with a given name.
Thus Mr John is really a bad English. This and the following points may not be exclusive to English.
Tim is right on this point! It is sort of hit or miss (no pun intended), but in some families and organizations, these titles are used. It is just one step away from a non-relative being called uncle or auntie.
"Driving Miss Daisy" for example!
Garzo:
I love the way that in the UK Commons members address one another in the third person with things such as "the Honourable Member for Westbury," "my Right Honourable friend," "the Right Honourable and Learned Member for Sedgefield," or "the Honourable and Gallant Member for Devizes".
It is wonderful to hear that sort of masked vitriol. They use the "Honorable" in our Senate, too, (Not sure about the House! They must use something less than "honorable" like "esteemed." I don’t think that they can get to far from the stylized titles or the obviousness of their contempt would become too clear.
RK:
Would it not be wonderful to call these politicians by what they really are, rather than what they pretend to be? Think of the possibilities!!
The Right Dishonourable Gentleman, His Foolhardiness, His Most Infinitely Assinine ...
the mind boggles and the list goes on!
Wouldn’t it be loverly?
gailr:
How about His Waffling Bogosity…
I liked it so much I had to repeat it!
McKenzie:
Once, after a new priest had been inducted at our quaint, but High Church, I asked him how he’d prefer to be addressed, Father or Reverend.
"Call me, Peter," he replied. "That’s my Christian name."
I immediately liked him. A "people person," down-to-earth. No putting on airs. He was a PRIEST.
Formally we called our priest, Father, but the older members lovingly called him "Padre." After he died we got a Spanish priest who had converted from Catholicism. Sort of ironic, but he disliked being called "Father," and really hated being called "Padre," but no one ever got used to calling him by his first name.
I was most surprised to learn that Ms., Miss, and Mrs. all share the same full form—Mistress. Oddly enough, this also helped me to understand why in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Ned Land is often addressed as "Master Land". (I just read the original, after noticing how varied the story line was in filmed versions.)
How about His Waffling Bogosity…
Wonderful! I once had a fantasy of a customer in the Waffle House driving the waitress crazy. "I’ll have the Belgium waffle with applesauce. No, wait a minute. I’ll have eggs and grits with a waffle on the side. No… maybe the Belgium waffle with maple syrup and butter. Oh, gosh. Give me a minute."
"Call me, Peter," he replied. "That’s my Christian name."
What’s his name for other persuasions?
It is wonderful to hear that sort of masked vitriol. They use the "Honorable" in our Senate, too, (Not sure about the House! They must use something less than "honorable" like "esteemed." I don’t think that they can get to far from the stylized titles or the obviousness of their contempt would become too clear.
So right. It seems the more flowery the address, the greater the intent to belittle.
