How did “Mrs.” become “Misses”?
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According to Wikipedia:
Mrs originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress, the feminine of Mister, or Master, which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women and Miss for unmarried began during the 17th century;1[2] the 20th century saw the coinage of a new unmarked option Ms.
This explains the presence of the "R", but how did "Mrs." come to be pronounced so uniquely? "Mr." is "Mister", just like its full form, yet "Mrs." is "Misses" (and even then there is no standardised spelling for "Mrs." because of its uniqueness). ("Missus" is considered slang for "wife".)
Similarly, why is "Miz" "Ms." and not "Mz."? And why is there no honorific for "Miss"?
etymology pronunciation abbreviations honorifics
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
Mrs originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress, the feminine of Mister, or Master, which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women and Miss for unmarried began during the 17th century;1[2] the 20th century saw the coinage of a new unmarked option Ms.
This explains the presence of the "R", but how did "Mrs." come to be pronounced so uniquely? "Mr." is "Mister", just like its full form, yet "Mrs." is "Misses" (and even then there is no standardised spelling for "Mrs." because of its uniqueness). ("Missus" is considered slang for "wife".)
Similarly, why is "Miz" "Ms." and not "Mz."? And why is there no honorific for "Miss"?
etymology pronunciation abbreviations honorifics
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
4
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
Mrs originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress, the feminine of Mister, or Master, which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women and Miss for unmarried began during the 17th century;1[2] the 20th century saw the coinage of a new unmarked option Ms.
This explains the presence of the "R", but how did "Mrs." come to be pronounced so uniquely? "Mr." is "Mister", just like its full form, yet "Mrs." is "Misses" (and even then there is no standardised spelling for "Mrs." because of its uniqueness). ("Missus" is considered slang for "wife".)
Similarly, why is "Miz" "Ms." and not "Mz."? And why is there no honorific for "Miss"?
etymology pronunciation abbreviations honorifics
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
According to Wikipedia:
Mrs originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress, the feminine of Mister, or Master, which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women and Miss for unmarried began during the 17th century;1[2] the 20th century saw the coinage of a new unmarked option Ms.
This explains the presence of the "R", but how did "Mrs." come to be pronounced so uniquely? "Mr." is "Mister", just like its full form, yet "Mrs." is "Misses" (and even then there is no standardised spelling for "Mrs." because of its uniqueness). ("Missus" is considered slang for "wife".)
Similarly, why is "Miz" "Ms." and not "Mz."? And why is there no honorific for "Miss"?
etymology pronunciation abbreviations honorifics
etymology pronunciation abbreviations honorifics
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
edited Aug 9 '16 at 23:06
Dog Lover
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
asked Aug 9 '16 at 23:00
Dog LoverDog Lover
4,92963266
4,92963266
As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
4
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39
add a comment |
As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
4
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39
As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
4
4
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39
add a comment |
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As pointed out by one of the answers there (quoting the OED): J. Walker, in his Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of 1791, notes that mistress as a title of civility is pronounced missis, and that “to pronounce the word as it is written would, in these cases, appear quaint and pedantick”
– FumbleFingers
Aug 10 '16 at 2:34
4
When the abbreviation "Ms." first appeared, it was not actually an abbreviation for anything particular, it was chosen to try and be as independent of, but of similar strength to "Mr." and keep the distinctive "s" that the older feminine forms had. Once they had the abbreviation, they needed a way to pronounce it and be distinct from the older "Miss", so the pronunciation as "Miz" came out. So technically "Ms." is not actually an abbreviation of "Miz", the connection goes the other way.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 6:23
@MAP A very nice explanation. Thank you. If you can add anything about "Mrs.", you'd have an excellent foundation for an answer that I could accept.
– Dog Lover
Aug 10 '16 at 8:16
Well, I was around when "Ms." first came out, so I know what was reported in the news. However, I wasn't around when "Mrs." came about.
– MAP
Aug 10 '16 at 8:39