A Scottish term of respect for a woman of social standing; a female head of a household.
From Scots gud + dame (from Old French dame, from Latin domina meaning 'mistress, lady'). A compound specifically used in Scottish English, combining the Scots dialect word for 'good' with the inherited word for a woman of status.
Gudame shows how Scots doesn't just change pronunciation—it creates entirely new compounds that show respect and social structure differently than English; it's not 'goodwife' but a uniquely Scots combination.
Scots archaic 'gud dame' (good woman/lady); part of gendered courtesy titles that elevated or diminished women based on marital/social status. Parallels 'gudwife' distinction from 'gudesir.'
Historical term—use only in historical context or dialect literature. Modern equivalent: address by name or neutral title rather than gendered courtesy form.
["lady","woman","person's name"]
Scots courtesy language had asymmetrical gendered expectations; women were addressed by marital/household status while men received honor titles. Modern practice should avoid such asymmetry.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.