The word "madam" was borrowed from the French language for a long time already. Today it is regularly used in everyday speech, but not everyone knows what it really means and when it came into use. Madame - a woman, it is clear at once, but about whether all the representatives of the fair sex is appropriate to call it so, history is silent.
The history of the emergence of new treatment options
Many authoritative sources agree that in the seventeenth century the definitions of "mademoiselle" and "madam" appeared. These are messages used to emphasize the status of women. Originally, these words could only be used with respect to noble ladies. If you compare French to Russian, the word "madam" is a synonym for "lady". Very quickly, the new appeal won popularity among the landowners, called so wealthy owners of estates or wives of nobility of this estate. But the "mademoiselle" with the light hand of Moliere, who wrote a comedy about a peasant who married the daughter of a landowner, for a time meant noble ladies who chose not quite suitable husbands. But in the course of time both appeals have acquired a new meaning. "Mademoiselle" is a young unmarried girl, and "madam" is a woman who married a man.
Subtlety of use
Already in 1690 Führtier in his dictionary indicates that special treatment can be used not only in relation to the most noble and wealthy ladies. According to his version, "mademoiselle" is any young girl, only if she does not come from a peasant or artisan family. There are exceptions, together with a professional definition or some title you can use only "madam". The same word applies to all women from a certain age. It is considered uncivilized to call a middle-aged or elderly woman "mademoiselle" even if it is for certain that she is not married.
Modern French etiquette
In the modern world, old etiquette is constantly being abolished. In America, they have long introduced a neutral respectful appeal to all women, in European countries they often use the "senior" term, regardless of the social status of the lady. Today, it is not necessary that "madam" is a married woman. This is the name of all ladies, including young enough, who did not marry. This change in etiquette is made at the legislative level. However, the romantic and beautiful "mademoiselle" has not completely disappeared from the speech and is very often used in informal conversations.