Mister (complimentary close)
See also: Mister
Mister is a complimentary close allotted to all the men - in opposition to Madam (married woman) or Miss.
The etymology is natural: it is about the contraction of the possessive adjective my and the common noun sior , itself contraction of lord . It is thus a simplified form of monseigneur . By the use, he does not decide any more like he is written. The modern pronunciation is: mǝ.sjø.
Abbreviation
The current use is to shorten Mister in Mr. .
The French Academy stresses that the most suitable abbreviation is M .
In English, Mr. (British English) or Mr. (American English) are the abbreviation of Mister (does not have to be used in French). Mr. (without point, R being the last letter of Mister ) had a use attested in the manuscripts of. It is mentioned in the dictionary of Ménage (1694), just as in that of Littré.
The plural of Mister is Sirs (contraction of my + lords ) and shortens in Misters (use of the Official journal or the national Typography) or M (French Academy).