Illegal French Lesson: Madame or Mademoiselle?
A French feminist group recently launched a campaign calling for the word mademoiselle to be removed from official French documents.
The campaigners argue that men have traditionally used the word to flatter young, attractive unmarried women, and that it discriminates against women on the basis of age, appearance and private life—particularly marital status. The corresponding word mondamoiseau, meaning a young man, disappeared decades ago.
The campaign proposes using madame instead of mademoiselle. Madame is more respectful and makes no assumptions about a woman’s private life. A woman need not be married to be called madame.
The campaigners also want to retire nom de jeune fille (literally, “young girl’s name,” meaning a woman’s maiden name) and replace it with nom de naissance (“birth name”), alongside nom d’usage (“name in use,” often a married name).
Ladies, would you rather be called madame or mademoiselle?
To wrap up, here is a song called “Mademoiselle,” sung by the ever-cheeky Henri Salvador to charm young women. The original lyrics are in French; an English rendering follows.
Mademoiselle
You pass by without a care
Inside your dreams,
Bluer than life itself.
I would even come
And sing to you in the rain;
Your dreams make
The daylight in my nights.Mademoiselle,
It is all just a game.
I love you—
Don’t take it too seriously.
The finest day
Is the one we have today.
“Forever” always rhymes
With boredom.Mademoiselle
You pass by without a care
Inside your dreams,
Bluer than life itself.
I would even come
And sing to you in the rain;
Your dreams make
The daylight in my nights.Mademoiselle,
It is all just a game.
I love you—
Don’t take it too seriously.
The finest day
Is the one we have today.
“Forever” always rhymes
With boredom.Oh! “Forever” always rhymes with boredom…
Oh! “Forever” always rhymes with boredom…
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Comments
- weiluotuo: “Mondamoiseau!!!!!”
- jice5: “Pfft… I used this example in my thesis…”