Definition
Elaborate behaviors performed by animals to attract mates, often involving visual signals, sounds, dances, or gift-giving. These displays demonstrate fitness, health, and genetic quality to potential partners.
Etymology
From Old French 'corteis' meaning courtly behavior and Latin 'displicare' meaning to unfold or exhibit. The term draws from human courtly traditions but describes the universal animal behavior of mate attraction.
Kelly Says
Male bowerbirds build and decorate elaborate structures with colorful objects, essentially creating art galleries to impress females! Some courtship displays are so energetically expensive that males can lose 20% of their body weight during breeding season.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
የፍቅረኞች ተዋናይነት
ye-fikrenyoch tewanaynet
ARالعربية
عرض التودد
ʿarḍ al-tawaddud
BNবাংলা
প্রেম প্রদর্শন
prem pradarshan
CACatalà
exhibició de festeig
eksibitsió de festey
CSČeština
nádvoří
/naːdvoːrɪ/
DADansk
parningsadfærd
/pɑːnɪŋsˈaˀfɛɐ̯d/
DEDeutsch
Balzverhalten
/balt͡sˈfɛʁhaltn/
ELΕλληνικά
εμφάνιση ερωτοτροπίας
emfánisi erotropías
ESEspañol
exhibición de cortejo
eksibisión de kortejo
FAفارسی
نمایش عاشقی
namāyeš-e āšeqī
FISuomi
parittelukäyttäytyminen
/pɑritelukæyttæymiːnen/
FRFrançais
parade nuptiale
/paʁad nytɥal/
GUGU
પ્રેમ પ્રદર્શન
prem pradarshan
HAHA
nuna soyayya
nu na soyayya
HEעברית
הצגת חיזור
hatzagaṭ ḥizur
HIहिन्दी
प्रेम प्रदर्शन
prem pradarshan
HUMagyar
udvarlás
/udvarlaːʃ/
IDBahasa Indonesia
tarian kawin
tarian kawin
IGIG
ịkpọkọta ịhụnanya
i kpọkọta i hụnanya
ITItaliano
parata di corteggiamento
/paˈraːta di korteʤʤaˈmento/
KKKK
жұбайлық ойын-сауық
jubajlq ojn-sauq
KMKM
ការបង្ហាញស្នេហា
kaar banghernh sneah
MRMR
प्रेम प्रदर्शन
prem pradarshan
MSBahasa Melayu
pameran cinta
pameran cinta
MYမြန်မာ
ချစ်သူ့အမူအကျင့်
hkyit thu ah mu ah kyin
NLNederlands
baltsvertoon
/bɑltsfərˈtoːn/
NONorsk
paringsatferd
/pɑriŋsɑtferd/
PAPA
ਪਿਆਰ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ
piār dā pradarśan
PLPolski
zachowanie godowe
zaˈxɔvaɲɛ ɡɔˈdɔvɛ
PTPortuguês
exibição de cortejo
eksiˈbithɐ̃w dʒi koʁˈteʒu
RUРусский
брачные игры
brachnyye igry
SVSvenska
parningsbeteende
/pɑːrniŋsbetɛnde/
SWKiswahili
onyesho la mapenzi
onyesho la mapenzi
TAதமிழ்
காதல் வெளிப்பாடு
kātal veḷippāṭu
TEతెలుగు
ప్రేమ ప్రదర్శన
prēma pradarśana
THไทย
การแสดงความรัก
kān sadaeng khwām rak
TLTL
pagpapakita ng pag-ibig
pagpapakita ng pag-ibig
TRTürkçe
çiftleşme gösterisi
tʃiftleʃme ɡösterisi
UKУкраїнська
шлюбні ігри
shlubni ihry
URاردو
عاشقی کا مظاہرہ
āshiqī kā mazāhirah
VITiếng Việt
hiển thị tán tỉnh
hien thi tan tinh
YOYO
àfihàn ifẹ
afihan ife
ZH中文
求偶表演
qiú ǒu biǎo yǎn
ZUZU
ukubonakala kwegama
ukubonakala kwegama
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Victorian/early 20th-century ethology framed courtship as active male pursuit of passive female choice. Language reinforced asymmetrical agency; female preferences were treated as receptivity rather than active selection.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'courtship display' but recognize bidirectional signaling: both sexes display, both assess, both invest in mate choice. Avoid passive voice for female participation.
Inclusive Alternatives
["mate-attraction display","bidirectional signaling"]
Empowerment Note
Bateman's paradigm (1948) long obscured female choice mechanisms; recent research by Moller, Andersson, and others reveals females drive sexual selection in many taxa.