> Madame Navratilova is the senior stateswoman of
> women’s professional tennis, isn’t young, and
> is the most accomplished female athlete. Ever.

Oh, right, i confused with that pretty blond Russian one that’s on the cover of magazines these days, sorry — don’t pay attention to sports much.

Then, yes — if you were, say, introducing this accomplished senior female athlete at some public function, you might very well refer to her as, or call her, “Madame Navratilova”. Or “Madam Navratilova”, either way.

Usage of either Madame or Madam before a woman’s name might result from that woman having having had some official honor bestowed upon her, but that is not necessary; all that’s necessary is your respect for / to her.

> The honorific madame struck me odd, especially since it’s used for diplomats
> or is bestowed upon someone, like the OBE. Its use suggests that she’d
> been a recipient of such an title-granting honor.

I am not actually aware of Madame being used as a “title bestowed upon someone” in itself, or as an indication that the woman has received some official honor; i don’t believe that’s true, seouldout. A woman who receives the OBE is referred to as “Dame”. Madame is, as i have said, entirely unofficial — an honorific that demonstrates your respect for the woman in question (presumably due to her seniority, age, accomplishments, status, wealth, whatever).

And esteemed and Mr. aren’t really necessary. Seouldout is just fine by me.

Not quibbling about the scholarly or spiritual interest of tea. Big fan of Earl Grey, you know. The honorific madame struck me odd, especially since it’s used for diplomats or is bestowed upon someone, like the OBE. Its use suggests that she’d been a recipient of such an title-granting honor. Or arranges upper-crust marriages. But it’s just you handing out honorifics.

What honorific do you use for the elder male professors at academic conferences and diplomatic receptions? Sir professor?

This barbarian will stick with Mrs. unless she prefers Ms.

It occurs to me that here our esteemed Mr. seouldout is confusing the rather unofficial horrific Madame with “Lady”, an aristocratic title officially “bestowed upon someone” by royalty, as in “Lady Margaret Thatcher” or etc. This is equivalent of the male Sir put before the name, as in “Sir Mick Jagger”, “Sir Elton John” and “Sir Paul McCartney” — believe it or not…

I do believe you are referring to “a madam” — the spelling and the “a” make the difference — in English “Madam” before her family-name is a polite way to address an older/respected woman, can be equivilent in usage to “Madame”. To use “a madam” as indicating her employment status is what you’re referring to, Argharei.

Dictionary.com is your Friend:

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary:
madam - noun — plurals madams, ~mesdames
a polite form of address to a woman

American Heritage Dictionary
Madam n. Abbr. Mdm. pl. Mes·dames
1. Used formerly as a courtesy title before a woman’s given name but now used only before a surname or title indicating rank or office: Madam Ambassador.
2. Used as a salutation in a letter: Dear Madam or Sir.
3. madam - Used as a form of polite address for a woman: Right this way, madam.
4. madam - The mistress of a household.
5. madam - A woman who manages a brothel.

Wordnet:
1. a woman of refinement; “a chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady” [syn: dame]
2. a woman who runs a house of prostitution

Online Etymology Dictionary:
madam — 1297, from O.Fr. ma dame, lit. “my lady,” from L. mea domina (cf. madonna).
Meaning “female owner or manager of a brothel” is first attested 1871.

> Madame Professor??? C’mon.

That would be the proper way to personally address a senior and accomplished scholar holding a professorship who happens to be female, in a formal situation. I’ve used it at academic conferences and diplomatic receptions…

> Why her? For tea?

Yes, in my opinion, which is what was posted. She is almost certainly the most senior, most accomplished and most highly respected tea-master in Korea today.

If you don’t know what a tea-master is, or are unaware of the respect they are usually regarded with in Korean (Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc) society, or you just don’t care about that, or if you don’t think that green tea is a legitimate field of study or spiritual practice in which one could gain respect — in other, simpler words, if you are a barbarian then that’s fine, you may call her whatever you wish.

> If she gets it why not Madame Martina Navratilova?

Uhmm, because she’s young and therefore not older, elder or senior — and is not really “accomplished”, not yet anyway, has not earned any particular respect that i’m aware of. Please re-check the definition for usage of this term posted above, and any other such definitions you can find for it.

Anyway, such an honorific is bestowed upon someone. Who or what bestowed it upon Mrs. Chae?