Courtesied

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have engaged in a gesture of politeness that includes bending the knees in respect
2. To have performed a courteous act characterized by a slight lowering of the body, often showing respect
3. Made a respectful gesture by bending the knees slightly and lowering the body in a formal manner

Etymology: "Courtesied" is simply the past tense and past participle of "courtesy" used as a verb, meaning to have made the gesture of bowing or bending the knees in respect. The verb is formed from the noun, so the history that matters lies in the noun's ancestry, which runs back through Old French "curteisie" to the word for the court of a lord. The idea that courtly behavior was a matter of manners at a royal or noble residence is built right into the root. The noun came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "curtesie," which descended from Old French "curteisie" and "cortoisie." Its base is "courteous," so the ending "-y" simply turns the adjective into an abstract noun meaning the quality of being courteous. Looking at the spelling alone, the word seems to contain "court" plus "-esy," and the "court" element is the same one found in "courtier" and "courtly."

Synonyms: bowed, saluted