An archaic variant spelling of curtsy; a respectful gesture made by bending the knees, particularly performed by women in formal settings.
From courtesy (Old French cortesie) with shifting pronunciation and spelling. In Early Modern English, curtesy/curtsy developed as a noun denoting the actual physical gesture of respect.
A curtsy literally started as a 'courtesy'—the gesture itself was named after the concept of polite behavior, which is why when you perform it, you're literally doing a courtesy!
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