Madame
UK[ˈmædəm]US[məˈdæm]
n
A polite title or form of address for a woman, especially a married French-speaking woman.
n
Used as a title equivalent to 'Mrs.' or used to address the female head of a brothel.
Etymology
The word 'madame' entered English directly from French in the late 16th century. It is a compound of the French words 'ma' (meaning 'my') and 'dame' (meaning 'lady'), which itself descends from the Latin 'domina', the feminine form of 'dominus' meaning 'master' or 'lord'. The term was originally used as a respectful form of address, equivalent to 'my lady'. In English, it retained its French spelling and pronunciation, becoming a formal title for a married woman, particularly one of French origin, and later developing specialized meanings in certain contexts.
Analysis
This is a loanword from French, adopted as a single lexical unit into English. It is not productively segmented using English morphemes.
Examples
Madame Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist.
The invitation was addressed to Madame Dubois.
She asked to speak with the madame of the establishment.