In Spanish the distinction of meaning between lady and miss is, in principle, a simple matter. Any married or widowed woman is considered a lady, and a lady is a woman who remains single.
In everyday language use, the term "lady" is used to refer to women of a certain age and "miss" to younger ones. Despite this initial definition, the use of both words is not without controversy.
The feminist approach
From the feminist perspective the classic question to a woman "ma'am or miss?" It is a personal interference, since the marital status of a woman is a matter that should not interest anyone. On the other hand, this question is considered to discriminate against women, since men are not asked an equivalent question. In fact, to address a man the word gentleman is not used.
Some feminists propose that the distinction "lady" or "young lady" should no longer be used and that every woman be considered "madam".
It is easy to make mistakes when using the term lady or miss
If a man addresses a thirty-year-old woman, it is very likely that he doubts and does not know whether to address her as a lady or as a young lady. If you call her ma'am, it is likely that she will be offended because she understands that you are making her age. If he calls you miss, he may also be upset, considering that he is not being treated with due respect.
If it is a very young woman, the most common thing would be to call her miss. However, it could be a very young woman who was married and in this case she would be making a mistake.
The situations indicated above remind us that the social use of both words implies a problem and that it is not easy to use one or the other without causing a certain discomfort in the woman.
Other uses of the term lady and miss
Sometimes the word lady is used regardless of marital status. If someone affirms "she is quite a lady" he is indicating that a woman has a great category as a person. In some professional contexts, it is common to address women as young ladies, for example in early childhood education or in commerce, and this use is independent of the marital status or age of the woman.
In English there is also a distinction between madam and miss
In English, the abbreviation "Mr" followed by the surname is used to refer to men, regardless of their marital status. To address women there are two possibilities:
1) "Miss" followed by the last name for single women and
2) the abbreviation "Mrs" plus the last name for married women.
Photo: Fotolia - Viacheslav Iakobchuk
