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Sanz Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary
Mrs. and Mistress
Hi! I didn't know which word "Mrs." came from and I found it comes from Mistress but I've always seen the abreviation in writings, why's that? Thank you 
Another question please, does "mistress" have plural? the first letter always must be written in capital?
Another question please, does "mistress" have plural? the first letter always must be written in capital?
Top answer
Hi, True, Mrs. stands for Mistress. Mistress means in this context women.
- Hi, True, Mrs.
- stands for Mistress.
- Mistress means in this context women.
- So you know when on the letter is written Mrs.
- Smith that it belongs to Mr.
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2 Answers
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Hi,
True, Mrs. stands for Mistress. Mistress means in this context women. So you know when on the letter is written Mrs. Smith that it belongs to Mr. Smith's wife. If there is Ms, however, that stands for Miss which is an unmarried woman. Ms can also stand for both. So when you don't know wheter some woman is married or not - write Ms.
Yes there is a plural: simple Mistresses. A
True, Mrs. stands for Mistress. Mistress means in this context women. So you know when on the letter is written Mrs. Smith that it belongs to Mr. Smith's wife. If there is Ms, however, that stands for Miss which is an unmarried woman. Ms can also stand for both. So when you don't know wheter some woman is married or not - write Ms.
Yes there is a plural: simple Mistresses. A
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Hello Sanz
The contraction "Mrs" relates to "mistress" in the now obsolete sense of the female head of a household (cf. master). "Mrs" was also used as a courtesy title for unmarried women in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The pronunciation "missis" presumably distinguishes "Mrs" from "mistress" in its sense of "woman with whom a married man has a sexual relationship".
Mr
The contraction "Mrs" relates to "mistress" in the now obsolete sense of the female head of a household (cf. master). "Mrs" was also used as a courtesy title for unmarried women in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The pronunciation "missis" presumably distinguishes "Mrs" from "mistress" in its sense of "woman with whom a married man has a sexual relationship".
Mr
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