Added 9 October 2026
courteous
/ˈkɜːti.əs/ adjective
In Latin: cōmis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about courteous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
Origin
From Middle English curteis, from Old French curteis (French courtois), from cort (“court”). By surface analysis, court + -eous. Compare typologically Czech zdvořilý (<~ dvůr), German höflich (<~ Hof). Also note Russian прийти́сь ко двору́ (prijtísʹ ko dvorú). Compare typologically civil, urbane. See pagan for the opposite.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)