DAME, properly a name of respect or a title equivalent to "lady," now surviving in English as the legal designation of the wife or widow of a baronet or knight, or of a dame of the Order of the British Empire ; it is prefixed to the Christian name and surname. It has also been used in modern times by certain so cieties or orders, e.g., the Primrose League, as the name of a cer tain rank among the lady members, answering to the male rank of knight. The ordinary use of the word by itself is for an old woman. As meaning "mistress," i.e., teacher, "dame" was used of the female keepers of schools for young children, which have become obsolete since the advance of public elementary education. At Eton college boarding-houses kept by persons other than mem bers of the teaching staff of the school were known as "Dames' Houses," though the head might not necessarily be a lady. As a term of address to ladies of all ranks, from the sovereign down. "Madam," shortened to "ma'am," represents the French madame, my lady.
"Damsel," a young girl or maiden, now only used as a literary word, is taken from the O.Fr. darneisele, formed from dame, and parallel with the popular dansele or doncele from the M. Lat. domicella or dominicella, diminutive of doming. The French damoiselle and demoiselle are later formations. The English liter ary form "damosel" was another importation from France in the 15th century. In the early middle ages damoiseau, M. Lat. domicellus, dameicele, damoiselle, domicella, were used as titles of honour for the unmarried sons and daughters of royal persons and lords (seigneurs). Later the damoiseau (in the south donzel, in Bearn domengar) was specifically a young man of gentle birth who aspired to knighthood, equivalent to ecuyer, esquire or valet (q.v.).