Courtliness

/ˈkɔːrtlɪnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality of being courtly; elegant, refined, and dignified behavior and appearance befitting a royal court or high society.

Etymology

From 'courtly' (elegant, befitting a court) + '-ness' (quality of). 'Courtly' derives from 'court,' with the '-ly' suffix creating an adjective meaning 'like a court' or 'belonging to a court.'

Kelly Says

Renaissance princes obsessively studied courtliness through books like Baldassare Castiglione's 'The Courtier'—it was literally a teachable skill, a performance of refinement that could be learned through etiquette, music, languages, and dance.

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