Where does “madam” come from?
Madam comes from Old French madame, from Old French ma and Latin domina meaning "mistress of the house," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dṓm meaning "house."
madam (English): "Mrs Grey wondered if the outfit she was trying...
Definitions
- "Mrs Grey wondered if the outfit she was trying...
Ancestry of “madam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | madame | — |
| 2 | Old French | madame | — |
| 3 | Old French | dame | lady; woman |
| 4 | Late Latin | domna | lady, mistress |
| 5 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 6 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 7 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |
Words derived from “madam”