Definition
Plural of curtsy; multiple bows made by bending the knees as a sign of respect, especially in formal court settings.
Etymology
Plural form of 'curtsy,' which comes from 'courtesy.' The spelling 'curtsy' became standard in modern English over 'curtsey.'
Kelly Says
The word 'curtsy' is one of the few English words where the -y plural gets an -ies ending—so you say 'one curtsy' but 'many curtsies,' just like 'baby' becomes 'babies!'
Translations
ARالعربية
انحناءات
in-ḥānā-āt
BNবাংলা
নমস্কার
no-mos-ka-ar
CACatalà
reverències
re-ve-ren-tsee-es
ELΕλληνικά
κύρτωμα
kir-to-ma
ESEspañol
reverencias
re-ve-ren-thee-as
FISuomi
kumaroita
ku-ma-roi-ta
FRFrançais
révérences
revoˈʁɑ̃s
GUGU
નમસ્કાર
na-mas-ka-ar
HIहिन्दी
सिर झुकाना
seer jhū-kā-nā
IDBahasa Indonesia
tunduk
tun-duk
ITItaliano
reverenze
re-ve-ren-tza
MRMR
नमस्कार
na-mas-ka-ar
MSBahasa Melayu
tunduk
tun-duk
MYမြန်မာ
ကျေးဇူးပြု
kye-zu-pu
NLNederlands
buigingen
bœi-gin-en
PAPA
ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
sat sri akal
PTPortuguês
reverências
re-ve-ren-thee-as
RORomână
încrucișări
in-kru-ci-șări
SVSvenska
böjningar
bœːj-nɪŋːar
SWKiswahili
kufunga
koo-fun-ga
TAதமிழ்
மரியாதை
ma-ri-ya-tha-i
TEతెలుగు
నమస్కారాలు
na-mas-ka-ra-alu
THไทย
ทำความเคารพ
tham khwam khao-rap
TRTürkçe
oya eğilmeleri
oya e-yil-me-le-i
UKУкраїнська
поклін
pok-lin
VITiếng Việt
cúi chào
kwee chao
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Plural form perpetuating the gendered expectation that women perform this specific submissive gesture while men were exempt.
Inclusive Usage
Replace with 'bows' or 'gestures of respect' for gender-neutral language.
Inclusive Alternatives
["bows","respectful acknowledgments"]