MISS

'Miss' is a title typically used for an unmarried woman (not entitled to a higher title). It is a contraction of mistress, originating during the 17th Century. Its counterpart, Mrs., is used for married women.

Contents

Usage

Foreign equivalents

See also

Usage

''Miss'' can be used in direct address to a woman, for example, ''May I help you, Miss?'' By British tradition, ''Miss'' is often used by schoolchildren to address female teachers without using their name, regardless of marital status.
In some styles of etiquette, the eldest daughter of a family was addressed on paper simply as ''Miss Doe'', with the younger daughters being addressed as ''Miss Jane Doe'' and ''Miss Rebecca Doe''. In person, as in when making introductions, the styling would have been extended to unmarried cousins with the same surname.
In the American South, ''Miss'' is also traditionally used irrespective of marital status and added to a woman's first name in direct or indirect address, as ''Miss Ellen'' from ''Gone with the Wind'' or ''Miss Ellie'' from ''Dallas''. This form was also used in upper class households in all English-speaking countries by servants to address or refer to the unmarried ladies of the household, and occasionally in family-run businesses in the same manner, though more commonly it was used to address servants if they were addressed by title at all; such usages are rare today.
In addition, in the United States, "Miss" is also used irrespective of marital status in another context: in reference to a woman's age. "Miss" is usually used to a address a 'younger' woman, ie. "Can I help you, Miss?" while "Ma'am" is used to address an 'elder' woman or more specifically a woman over 30 years old. "Can I help you, Ma'am?". This is why so many women find it difficult, or are offended, when they begin to be addressed as "Ma'am". They feel it means they are being told they are 'old', rather than seeing it as a term of respect.
''Miss'' was formerly the default title for a businesswoman, but it has largely been replaced by Ms. in this context. It was (and to some extent remains) also a default title for celebrities, such as actresses (''Miss Helen Hayes, Miss Amelia Earhart)''. Such default usage has also proved problematic; the poet Dorothy Parker was often referred to as ''Miss Parker'', even though ''Parker'' was the name of her first husband and she herself preferred ''Mrs. Parker''. Later in the century, the use of "Miss" or "Mrs" became a problem for the New York Times in referring to political candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a married woman who did not use her husband's surname, since ''Mrs'' has only been used with a woman's maiden name in limited circumstances in public life before the 1980's. (See more at Mrs.) Current American etiquette states that Ms. is preferred for a woman who has kept her maiden name after marriage and in a business setting where one is not sure of how the woman wants to be addressed. While Miss can be used it is usually reserved for girls under eighteen.[1] 21st century etiquette encourages all women, regardless of marital status, profession or age to use Ms. when a title for both formal and informal salutation is deemed necessary.
Another notable use of ''Miss'' is as the title of a beauty queen (given that in most pageants it is a requirement that contestants be unmarried), such as ''Miss America'', ''Miss Universe'', or ''Miss Congeniality''.
Other languages, such as French, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Portuguese, have borrowed the English ''Miss'' to refer to the winner of a beauty pageant.
''Miss'' can be used in the plural, as ''Misses''. The usage ''The Misses Doe'' was often used in the United Kingdom to refer to unmarried sisters, but this usage is now largely obsolete.
In India, a female school teacher is usually addressed as "Miss". The "Miss" is usually postfixed such as "Shanti Miss" when referring to them in absence. All students rise and say in chorus "Good Morning Miss" when the teacher enters the class.

Foreign equivalents

Rough foreign equivalents of ''Miss'' are:

★ Afrikaans ''Juffrou''

★ Albanian ''Zonjusha''

★ Arabic آّنسة (''ānisah'')

★ Bulgarian ''Госпожица'' (pronounced ''gospozhitsa'')

★ Czech ''Slečna''

★ Danish ''Frøken'' (''Frk.'')

★ Dutch ''Juffrouw'' (''Mej.'')

★ Esperanto ''Fraŭlino'' (''F-ino'')

★ Estonian ''Preili'' (''Prl.'')

★ Finnish ''Neiti'' (Nti)

★ French ''Mademoiselle'' (''Mlle'')

★ German ''Fräulein'' (''Frl.'')

★ Greek ''Δεσποινίς'' (''Δις'')

★ Hungarian ''Kisasszony''

★ Indonesian ''Nona'' (''Nn.'')

★ Irish ''Ógbhean(-uasal)''

★ Italian ''Signorina'' (''Sig.na'')

★ Japanese ''嬢'', pronounced ''Jō''

★ Latvian ''Jaunkundze''

★ Lithuanian ''Panelė''

★ Macedonian ''Госпоѓица'' (''Г-ѓица'')

★ Malaysian ''Cik''

★ Maltese ''Sinjorina''

★ Mandarin Chinese ''小姐'' (xiao2 jie3)

★ Norwegian ''Frøken'' (''Frk.'')

★ Polish ''Panna''

★ Portuguese ''Menina'' (''Mna.'') or ''Senhorita'' (''Srta.'')

★ Romanian "Domnişoară"

★ Sanskrit (and Indian languages) ''Kumāri''

★ Scots Gaelic ''Maighdeann(-uasal)'' (''Mh(uas).'')

★ Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian ''Gospođica'' (''Gđica'')

★ Slovakian ''Slečna''

★ Slovenian ''Gospodična'' (''Gdč.'')

★ Spanish ''Señorita'' (''Srta.'')

★ Swedish ''Fröken'' (''Frk.'')

★ Welsh ''Bonesig''

See also

★ Madam

★ Ms.

★ Mrs.

★ Mr.