Where did the R in Mrs come from?

Turns out, the abbreviation “Mrs.” was originally short for “mistress,” she found out, and the word had a more general meaning of a woman who is in charge of something, such as a household. Overtime, the pronunciation of the word changed from “mistress” to “missus,” and eventually the “r” was dropped.

Why is Mrs abbreviated misses?

Mrs. was originally an abbreviation for mistress, which at the time was the female counterpart of “master” and described a woman who was in charge, like a woman who was the head of a household. The word pronounced “missis” or “missus” took over as a general term for women and the counterpart to “mister.”

What is Mr and Mrs short for?

Mr and Mrs were originally the abbreviations of master and mistress, while mister and missus (also spelt missis) are the renderings of the altered pronunciation of master and mistress in Mr and Mrs. (Similarly, miss was originally short for mistress.)

Does MS have a period after it?

Ms. is not an abbreviation, either, but we do use a period after it — probably to keep it consistent with Mr. and Mrs. The plural of Mr. is Messrs.

Why is the R in Mrs silent?

as “missus,” why is there an r in it? Despite its pronunciation, the abbreviation Mrs. is derived from the title mistress, which accounts for that confusing extra letter. Mistress is the counterpart of master, which—you guessed it—is abbreviated to Mr. was an honorific: a woman referred to as Mrs.

Is Mrs A contraction?

Mrs. is a contraction derived from Middle English maistresse, “female teacher, governess.” Once a title of courtesy, mistress fell into disuse around the late 14th century. The pronunciation, however, remained intact. By the 15th century, mistress evolved into a derogatory term for “a kept woman of a married man.”

How do you call a single woman?

Historically, “Miss” has been the formal title for an unmarried woman. “Mrs.,” on the other hand, refers to a married woman. “Ms.” is a little trickier: It’s used by and for both unmarried and married women.