(from the French ) was a historical Swedish

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

used for unmarried women from about the mid 18th-century until 1866. The title was primarily used for women in the

burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

and the clergy classes. The word was replaced after the middle of the 19th century by , which had previously been a title used only for unmarried

noblewomen Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

History

An earlier title for unmarried women in Sweden was . Previously, the title had also been reserved for noblewomen, but it began to also be used for people outside the nobility much earlier than . Until 1719, when the Swedish court system was reformed, unmarried noblewomen were called instead of . In the 18th century, became common, although unmarried noblewomen were called ('miss'). Similarly, the title ('Mrs') was used only for married noblewomen, and married middle-class women were called (from French ). After the parliamentary reform which abolished the

Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...

in 1866, the title was allowed for all unmarried women, and the title – as well as the married equivalent – ceased to be used. The reform was mentioned in the 1866–1867

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...

's show at the

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

in the satirical song (which rhymes in Swedish):Georg Nordensvan: Svensk teater och svenska skådespelare från gustav III till våra dagar. andra boken 1842-1918 (1918) At the Royal Dramatic Theatre, however, the reform was not introduced until after director Edholm was replaced in 1881.

References

{{Reflist * Johan Flodmark: ''Stenborgska skådebanorna'' * Trygve Byström: ''Svenska komedien 1737-1754'' Women's social titles Titles Honorifics Swedish titles Social history of Sweden