madam, noun

Forms:
Also with initial capital.
Origin:
EnglishShow more Special senses of general English.
The (usually White) mistress of a household; a White woman employer or superior at work; a White woman. Cf. master sense 2.
1. A term of address.
a. Used when addressing someone directly; medem sense 1; merrem sense 2 a.
1943 Outspan 23 July 22 (advt)A: You must be using a lot of polish on the floors, John. They shine so brightly. B: No, Madam see how much there is left in the tin.
1952 Manuel & Van de Haer in Drum Aug. 6The most hurtful remark I ever heard was made by a girl in a factory to her ‘Pass-for-White’ forelady. ‘Madam,’ she said, ‘Whatever is happening to your skin? You seem to be getting blacker every day.’
1963 B. Modisane Blame Me on Hist. (1986) 226This house servant..was talking to her ‘madam’ with whom I was friendly: ‘You know, madam,’ she said, ‘it’s true what they say. Natives is Natives.’
1969 M. Benson At Still Point 136I was appalled at how appreciative Mr. Qaba was of my visit, and relieved to notice he no longer addressed me as ‘madam’.
1986 Style Feb. 62They tell all their servants to call them Sarah and Jim instead of Master and Madam.
b. Used in the third person, as a deferential term of address; merrem sense 2 b. Cf. missus sense 2 a.
1968 F.G. Butler Cape Charade 28Ai! Madam gave me a fright!
1973 M. Philip Caravan Caravel 24Madam’s palace is ready for madam. Madam can now sit on her throne and watch the sea.
2. A common noun; maddie; medem sense 2; merrem sense 1. Cf. mevrou sense 3, missus sense 1.
1952 Drum July 21When Mrs. ‘So-and-so’ says: ‘Galima get some tea and lekker koeksisters for the madams and masters, and leave ours in the kitchen,’ she is not practising apartheid.
1964 M. Benson Afr. Patriots 251As soon as they were arrested they climbed happily into the police vans, some calling out: ‘Tell our madams we won’t be at work tomorrow!’
a1965 N. Nakasa in Cole & Flaherty House of Bondage (1968) 14I could..find a comfortable job in the northern suburbs. I’m sure some ‘madam’ would find me intelligent and give me one of those incredible ‘kitchen boy’ suits.
1976 M. Tholo in C. Hermer Diary of Maria Tholo (1980) 55Even for domestics it is worse to work for a black than a white madam in terms of kindness and time off.
1980 C. Hope A Separate Development (1983) 111We sold Jacaranda Blossom Perfume, White Winda Washing Powder, Smart Madam Wigs (‘Each Hair guaranteed 100 percent Human & Fully European’).
1980 E. Joubert Long Journey of Poppie Nongena 100I got sick at the work, but the madam said to me: You can’t be sick here, you must go to Nyanga, I’m too busy to look after a sick person.
1985 Frontline Sept. 15For the madams of Musgrave the bread strike has meant an irrevocable shift in the tense dynamic of the master-serf relationship.
1986 Style July 63She raises a pale finger in the candlelight: ‘Hercules, bring me a clean spoon for that madam.’
1991 K. Swart in Sunday Times 13 Jan. 13He and the 13 other ‘new kids’ made friends — some, like Collen, the sons and daughters of Emmarentia ‘maids’, others the children of the suburb’s ‘madams’.
3. Used as though the word were a name, with no article, and with a verb in the third person; merrem sense 3.
1968 Cole & Flaherty House of Bondage 70‘When madam returns from her tea date,’ they say, ‘you can be sure of two things: She will be in a terrible temper and she will have a brand new recipe for handling her servants’.
1986 Style Dec. 41Monologue with the servants, the boys and the girls, was limited to that magic word from Zululand, ‘fanagalo’. And while Jim did pusha lo plam, Madam did hamba chiya golef, at the club.
1988 J. Wellington in Cape Times 29 Dec. 6The poor maid, when willing to work on Christmas Day, receives a carton of chicken livers for lunch, while ‘madam’ and her family go to an expensive restaurant.
The (usually White) mistress of a household; a White woman employer or superior at work; a White woman.
Used in the third person, as a deferential term of address; merrem sense 2 b. Cf. missus sense 2 a.
Used as though the word were a name, with no article, and with a verb in the third person; merrem sense 3.
Derivatives:
Hence madamhood noun  nonce, the state of being a madam.
1985 D. Boutall in Fair Lady 27 Nov. 89‘Viva Molly! Viva Molly!’..Into the midst of the black multitude..came Molly Blackburn, at first sight the very epitome of affluent, white, middle class madamhood.
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19431991

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madamhood

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rare or nonce
madala, nounn. & adjectiveadj.maddie, nounn.
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