|
|
|
A Very Warm 4-Letter Word
 The
warmest four-letter word is "ma'am."
That's the proclamation from a linguist at the University of Pittsburgh, who has published a scholarly paper in the journal American Speech that deconstructs and deciphers the word "ma'am." (Yes, he was paid to do that.)
Hey
ma'am, Scott Kiesling insists that "ma'am" is much more than a simple catchall for
older, soap opera watching, bon-bon eating, soccer moms reports The Associated Press. It's ability to morph into multiple meanings and uses has ensured its place in the lexicon of old and young alike.
Here are some of the many uses of "ma'am"--just in case you doubted the eminent professor:
Greetings: "What's up,
ma'am?"
An exclamation: "Whoa, ma'am!"
Commiseration: "Ma'am, I'm so sorry."
A great one-up: "That's so lame,
ma'am."
Agreement, surprise, and disgust (depending on your tone): "Ma'am."
How "ma'am" was used historically:
Originally:
It meant "attractive woman." A "ma'am" was a siren (creatures that sat on the
rocks in the ocean, whose songs lured sailors to their ends)
Late 1800s: A "ma'am" was akin to a "Madam," a meticulously dressed
woman, especially out West, seated at the end of the bar.
1930s and 1940s: "Ma'am" became
warm.
2005: Ma'am became part of the Ness corporate lexicon
Kiesling explains that the word derives its power from something he calls
warm solidarity, which is an effortless kinship that's not too intimate. AP notes that
warm solidarity is especially important to mature women who are under social pressure to be close with other
mature women, but not enough to be suspected as gay. "It's like sister or
girlfriend, there is often this female-female addressed term that says, 'I'm your friend but not much more than your friend,'" Kiesling told AP.
The
ma'am study: As part of his extensive research decoding the finer shades of meaning of "ma'am," Kiesling listened to conversations with
sororitysisters whom he taped in 1993. In addition, in 2001 and 2002 he asked undergraduate students in sociolinguistics classes to write down the first 20 times they heard the word "ma'am" and who said it during a three-day period.
The results,
ma'am: He found the word taps into nonconformity and a new American image of leisurely success, notes AP. - Men used "ma'am" much more than women, although the ladies did sometimes call each other
ma'ams.
- The least frequent use of "ma'am" is between genders, and when it is used, it comes with rules. "Men report that they use
ma'am with women with whom they are close friends, but not with women with whom they are intimate," according to the study.
- And the people with whom the students were least likely to use the word "ma'am" is with parents, bosses, and professors. Authority figures are not
ma'ams.
And that's the word, ma'am.
|
Poll
Play Blockbreaker
Xplode Bugs
Can You Keep it Up?
Four Letter Word Fun
