About the honorifics 'Mrs' and 'Miss'

Question

Hi,(1) Is it true that the titles 'Miss' and 'Ms' came into use only in the seventinth century ... and so they are much 'younger' than the honorific 'Mrs'?(2) If the above is true, it means that ( before the middle of the XVII-th century) the only way to address a woman  (regardless of age, marital status, etc.) was, e.g. Mrs John Smith?(3) Which was the common honorific, say, in Chaucer's time, Mrs John Smith or Mistress John Smith? (4) One of the Internet sources claims that although the honorific "Miss" was first introduced somewhere in the seventinth century it has gained real popularity only since 1960....1970.  How can such 'hybernation' be explained? (It was not very difficult to find information about some most common honorifics on the Internet but .... nobody knows if those sources are trustful or not?..)  Thank you for your help

Vlivef · Accepted Answer

Sorry, sorry!....

Q4 should have been as follows:

One of the Internet sources claims that although the honorific "Ms" was first introduced somewhere in the seventinth century it has gained real popularity only since 1960....1970. How can such 'hybernation' be explained?

Anonymous · Answer

vlivef(1) Is it true that the titles 'Miss' and 'Ms' came into use only in the seventinth century ... and so they are much 'younger' than the honorific 'Mrs'?

The first citation in the OED for "Ms" is from 1901, and for "Miss", 1667. A little before that and as late as 1889, "miss" also meant "mistress" (the illicit kind) or "prostitute". "Mrs" is attested from 1485.

vlivef(2) If the above is true, it means that ( before the middle of the XVII-th century) the only way to address a woman (regardless of age, marital status, etc.) was, e.g. Mrs John Smith?

It's more complicated than that. Before then, women were referred to as "mistress", but the word was pronounced just like our "Mrs". Such niceties were confined to the people regarded as worthy of them. It's a long, convoluted story with gaps.

vlivef(3) Which was the common honorific, say, in Chaucer's time, Mrs John Smith or Mistress John Smith?

"Mistress", the form of address, goes back to Middle English. Chaucer would not have written "Mrs".

vlivef(4) One of the Internet sources claims that although the honorific "Miss" was first introduced somewhere in the seventinth century it has gained real popularity only since 1960....1970. How can such 'hybernation' be explained?

"Ms", a combination of "Miss" and "Mrs", appeared in the twentieth century. New words often take a while to gain a following.

About the honorifics 'Mrs' and 'Miss'

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions