I got married.
I’m not sure when, or how, or to whom, exactly.
All I know is that it happened.
Perhaps I should ask my students. They seem to know more about it than I do.
After all, they insist on addressing me as “Madame” when I am (insofar as I am aware) clearly a “Mademoiselle”.
Look mum, no ring!
Perhaps it is simply a question of semantics, but... semantics matter!
Let’s investigate further, shall we?
The Oxford Dictionary of Current English gives us the following definition of “semantics”:
semantics
/sɪˈmantɪks/
plural noun
[usually treated as singular]
the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning. The two main areas are logical semantics, concerned with matters such as sense and reference and presupposition and implication, and lexical semantics, concerned with the analysis of word meanings and relations between them.
So basically, we’re looking at linguistics and meaning; (infe)rence and (pre)supposition.
On that note, we should probably analyze a few more definitions. Thanks to the friendly folks over at Larousse for helping out with these ones:
madame, mesdames
nom féminin
(de ma et dame)
1. Titre donné à toute femme mariée, ou qui l'a été, ou, dans les relations courantes, qui est en âge de l'être (avec majuscule [abréviation Mme] quand il est suivi du nom propre ; avec ou sans majuscule quand il n'est pas suivi du nom propre).
Whilst neither 1a. nor 1b. applies to myself, technically 1c. could. One point for “Mme.”
2. Titre donné à la maîtresse de maison par un domestique (avec majuscule).
Ya, I don’t have a maid...
3. Titre précédant la fonction d'une femme quand elle lui confère une autorité (avec majuscule) : Madame la Présidente.
Tricky… let’s think about this… President is to Dumbledore as Teacher is to Scabbers… not so tricky, really.
4. À partir du XVIIe s., titre des filles du roi de France et du Dauphin, et de la femme de Monsieur, frère du roi.
At last check, my father was not the king of France (shocking, I know. Perhaps I should verify...) And, if we're talking "Filles du Roi" (which clearly we aren't, but who am I to take the excitement out of a(n anecdotal) teachable moment??) according to my kids, they were nothing more than trumped up “belles du nuit”. Furthermore, I haven’t been called upon to populate any new colonies recently...
5. Titre donné aux religieuses dans certains ordres.
Self-explanatory, no?
So, to sum it up:
"Mesdames" are either a) women who are married, were married or could be married; b) women who have a maid; c) women in a position of authority; d) daughters of the king/ one of the king's daughters; or e) a nun.
And the tally please?
Mlle: 6
Mme: 1
Carrying on:
mademoiselle, mesdemoiselles
nom féminin
(de ma et demoiselle)
1. Titre donné à une jeune fille ou à une femme non mariée. (S'écrit avec majuscule [abréviation Mlle] quand il est suivi du nom propre.)
At last check I wasn’t married (as far as I know… refer to intro) so I’m going to award a point to “Mlle” here.
2. Titre donné à la fille du maître et de la maîtresse de maison par un domestique (avec majuscule) : Mademoiselle dînera-t-elle ce soir ?
No maid = null and void.
3. Titre donné autrefois à une institutrice, une gouvernante, etc.
Well, I AM a teacher, so if we ignore the “autrefois” thing...
4. Titre porté par certaines princesses, en particulier, à partir du XVIIe s., par la fille aînée du frère du roi de France (avec majuscule).
Key word = princesse
No?
Ok. Fine. It doesn’t count.
So… Mesdemoiselles are: a) young girls or unmarried women; b) the daughters of women who have a maid; c) a teacher or a governess; or d) princesses.
Tally?
Mlle: 2
Mme: 0
All together now!:
Mlle: 8
Mme: 1
So there you have it. My excellently (un)scientific study has clearly(ish) demonstrated that I am, indeed, a “Mademoiselle” and not a “Madame”. That is providing, of course, that my students are not actually aware of something that I myself am not...
