[HPforGrownups] Re: Use of Madam - Madam Bones

[Thren]

No: HPFGUIDX 87066


>bboy_mn:
>
>I can't recall if I every heard one of Madam Maxime's students address
>her, but even it the refer to her as Madam, that may be a cultural
>thing. They are operating under the rule of a culture differant that
>Hogwarts.
>
Thren:

She's not  'madam', she's  'Madame'. There's a difference. There's no 
distinction between 'Mrs' and 'madam' in French- Madame fulfills both 
functions (to the best of my knowledge). I get called 'madame' in shops 
about as often as I get called 'mademoiselle' (Miss). Unless you're 
obviously very young (teenish or little girls), you're madame. In my 
experience.

Also, as far as I know there's no equivalent of 
'headmaster/headmistress' in French. You have a directeur or directrice, 
but that's more of a title to put below your name or on your door than 
something to be addressed as. Old French might have something like it, 
but I'm not so well schooled in that area, and it would be a rather 
obscure thing to research for a book that's taking place in the 90s, 
even if the schools are old fashioned. Madame Maxime is a perfectly 
suitable thing for her students (and everyone else) to call her.