Middle English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]- cortesye, curteisye, curtesi, curtesie, curtessy, curtesy, curtesye, curteysy, curteysye
- cortaysie, cortaysye, corteisy, corteysye (Kent, West Midland); curtysy (Lancashire)
- curtaisi, curtaisy, curtasi, curtasie, curtassy, curtasy, curtasye (especially Northern, Northeast Midland); courtasy, courtassy (Early Scots)
Etymology
[edit]From Anglo-Norman curteisie, curtesie; equivalent to curteis + -ie.[1]
The rarity of spellings indicating a pronunciation with /s/ (such as curtassy) would seem to indicate that this analogical pronunciation largely postdates Middle English.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]curteisie (uncountable)
- Chivalric values; chivalrousness, honour, valour.
- Courteousness; polite behaviour.
- Kindness; charitable or courteous behaviour.
- A courtesy; a polite or kind act.
Descendants
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ “cǒurteisīe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ Dobson, E[ric] J. (1957), English pronunciation 1500-1700[1], second edition, volume II: Phonology, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1968, →OCLC, § 356, page 930:
- Similarly courtesy and jealousy, recorded with the historical [z] by Gil and Bullokar respectively, may owe their later pronunciations with [s] (recorded in courtesy by Bullokar, Robinson, and Hodges and in jealousy by Gil) to the influence of sbs. in -cy (e.g. privacy), as Ekwall suggests; but [s] in courteous and jealous is probably a more potent factor.
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