curtsey
UK[ˈkɜːtsi]US[ˈkɜːrtsi]
n
A formal gesture of respect or greeting made by a woman or girl, bending the knees with one foot in front of the other and lowering the body slightly.
v
Perform a curtsey.
Etymology
The word 'curtsey' is a specialized spelling variant of 'courtesy', which traces its lineage to the Old French 'cortesie', denoting the behavior expected at a royal court. This, in turn, derives from the Vulgar Latin 'cortesia', based on Latin 'cohors' meaning 'court' or 'enclosure', originally referring to a company of soldiers. The semantic evolution moved from the general concept of polite, courtly behavior to the specific physical expression of that politeness—a bow or gesture of respect. The modern spelling 'curtsey' became standardized in the 16th century to distinguish the specific gesture from the more abstract noun 'courtesy'.
Analysis
The word 'curtsey' is a simplex loanword. It is an alteration of the word 'courtesy', which entered English from Old French 'cortesie', meaning courtly manners or politeness. The functional role of the word as a whole is to name a specific respectful gesture.
Examples
The young girl gave a graceful curtsey to the queen.
It is customary for female dancers to curtsey at the end of a ballet performance.
She practiced her curtsey repeatedly before the formal reception.