2020-11-02 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด M – madam - Sir

Revision M-Q

2020-11-02

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด M – madam - Sir

การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้องนี้ เป็นไปตามมาตรฐานการใช้ภาษา

การใช้คำอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น

ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง madam = ‘MAD-uhm’

ออกเสียง sir = ‘SUR’

Farlex Trivia Dictionary

madam

- French, literally, "my lady."

See also related terms for lady.

Dictionary.com

“Sir” And “Madam” Are Shorter Versions Of What Words?

Let’s say you want to get the attention of a male clerk in the produce section of the grocery store.

Would you say, “Excuse me, sire, but could you please explain the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?”

(For the answer to that question, read this.)

Addressing a stranger as “sire” might raise an eyebrow.

But if you said it, you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.

Is sire the same as sir?

The word sir, which is a respectful term used to address a man,

derives from the word sire.

When written with a capital S,

it is used as the distinctive title of a knight or baronet.

The word sire is now considered archaic.

But it was once used to refer to an authority or a person of general importance.

Where does madam come from?

The history of the word madam is similar to sir.

The word derives from my dame.

The word dame is now usually considered offensive slang

(some dame with a dog just ran by and knocked me over).

However, it was once used to address a married woman or one in a position of authority.

The traditional term of address for a single woman is Miss.

(The story of Mr., Miss, Mrs., and Ms. is also worth a read!)

The origin of dame is the Latin domina, which is the feminine form of dominus, meaning “lord or master.”

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expression

madam

Spelled as madam and pronounced “MAD-uhm,”

the term is a title of respect and a form of address to a woman.

Spelled as madame and pronounced “mah-DAHM,”

the word is a French title of courtesy and is roughly equivalent to Mrs.

The plural of both madam and madame ismesdames (MAY-dahm).

It is safe enough to call any woman madam,

but you should be careful not to refer to one as “a madam,”

unless you are in a brothel.

Ma’am is an informal abbreviation of madam and madame.

Missus and missis are illiteracies.

Mrs. (pronounced ‘MIS-iz’) has a plural of Mmes.,

and is a title prefixed to the names of married or single,

is being used more and more often.