honorifics

[The Fox]

No: HPFGUIDX 55746

So if you're a wizard kid, there are different titles by which you're 
expected to call your elders, right?

Adult wizards and witches in the teaching profession are called Professor, 
with or without their own surnames -- Professor Dumbledore, Professor 
Sprout, etc. (all of whom may also be called simply "Professor").

Adult wizards who are not teachers are called Mr., with their own surnames; 
if they have a particular title, this can be used without a name attached.  
Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Fudge (who may also be called 
simply "Minister", if I'm not mistaken), Mr. Filch.  I expect Hagrid should 
properly be called Mr. Hagrid, but the kids don't use the honorific because 
he's a pal.

Adult witches who are not teachers are called either Mrs., with their own 
(okay, with their husbands') surnames, as Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Diggory; or 
Madam, with apparently either a surname or a given name, as Madam Hooch, 
Madam Pomfrey (whose given name we know to be Poppy), Madam Pince, and Madam 
Rosmerta (whom Hagrid calls simply "Rosmerta").

So:  how does one decide if a witch is Mrs. or Madam?  I hesitate to 
conclude that "Madam" is used by unmarried witches; the title "Miss" also 
exists, we know, because the teachers call the female students Miss Granger 
and Miss Clearwater and Miss What-have-you.  Maybe "Madam" is the wizarding 
equivalent of "Ms." -- that is, it's used to avoid the question of whether a 
witch is married or not, whether by others or by the witch herself if she 
prefers her professional title not to communicate this information?

Fox

...........
Matthew 7:1
Luke 6:37
...
"You want to tempt
the wrath of the whatever
from high atop the thing?"
-- West Wing
...
Come on, Nature
Just because I don't feel weak
Don't mean I feel so strong.
-- the Proclaimers
..............................



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