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cour·te·ous

(kûrtē-əs)

adj.

Characterized by gracious consideration toward others. See Synonyms at polite.

[Middle English corteis, courtly, from Old French, from cort, court; see COURT.]

courte·ous·ly adv.

courte·ous·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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