Women in history or literature who were kept by wealthy men and often provided companionship and entertainment; sophisticated mistresses.
From Old French 'courtisane,' derived from 'court' (the royal court). The term originally referred to women of the court, but came to specifically denote women who were companions to nobility and wealthy men, particularly in Renaissance Italy and 16th-17th century Europe.
Courtesans were sometimes more educated and culturally sophisticated than the wives of their patrons—they studied music, languages, poetry, and philosophy because their value depended on wit and charm rather than family lineage. Some became famous as poets and artists in their own right, challenging the assumption that all historical women without 'respectable' status were powerless.
Courtesan is historically female, tied to women's economic dependence and legal non-personhood; men in equivalent roles were merchants, advisors, or nobles, not stigmatized.
Use courtesan historically for women in sex work with elite patronage; acknowledge the gendered legal and economic inequality that created the role.
Courtesans like Émilie du Châtelet, Madame de Pompadour, and Manon Lescaut wielded significant political and intellectual influence despite legal disability; many were patrons of arts and science.
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