A person who attends a royal court, usually seeking favor and advancement from the king or queen.
From Old French 'courtier', derived from 'cour' meaning court. The word became especially common during the Renaissance when royal courts were centers of power and influence.
Courtiers invented the idea of etiquette and 'manners'—these weren't natural behaviors but deliberate performance arts designed to show loyalty and gain power in the dangerous game of royal politics.
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