A question which just occurred to me

[commodorified]

I am enthusiastically in favour of addressing people as they wish to be addressed, and referring to them by the pronouns, etc, that they prefer, or, if lacking data, using 'they'.

And there has, thankfully, been a lot of discussion of the matter to help me get this right.

So now I am wondering about formal modes of address for general and specific addressing of people whose genders are non-binary.

staranise sensibly points out that when addressing groups, "Honoured Guests" may reasonably be used along with, or instead of, "Ladies and Gentlemen/Mesdames et Messieurs". (ETA anne adds "Amis Distingués")

Suitable substitutes for "Sir", "Madam" "Ma'am", "Mr." "Ms", "M.", "Mmme", and so forth, however, elude me.

Has anyone seen anything good on this?

Comments

[niqaeli]

Oh, yes! Folks is great for semi-formal to informal if you've multiple people you're addressing. Similarly, y'all -- if it comfortably fits into your idiolect -- is also a good option; I pretty much always use one or the other when greeting multiple people professionally.

[wordweaverlynn]

Y'all is useful. The northern equivalents are yiz/yins/you'uns/youse. Unfortunately not accepted as formal English.

There's also "friends," if you're addressing a crowd, as long as you don't follow it with the rest of the speech. Maybe you could use "citizens," instead of Romans and countrymen.

Actually, Quakers solved this issue by addressing everyone of any rank as Friend or Friend [Firstname]. Including King Charles II. From Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser.

One day Charles entered a crowded chamber in Whitehall Palace. As was the custom, every lady curtsied and every gentleman bowed and removed his hat. Except for one: William Penn, the Admiral's embarrassing Quaker son. Determined to make his point for his faith, William remained upstanding, his hat firmly on his head.

Charles stopped before him, pointedly taking note of what could be considered treasonous defiance, and could, too, be rewarded with quick trip to the Tower.

Then the king slowly removed his own hat. This was not what anyone expected, including William himself.

"Friend Charles," William said, with even more daring. "Why dost thou not keep on thy hat?"

Unperturbed, the king answered. "Because it is the custom of this place that only one man should remain uncovered at a time."