curteisie

Middle English

Alternative forms

cortesye, curteisye, curtesi, curtesie, curtessy, curtesy, curtesye, curteysy, curteysye
cortaysie, cortaysye, corteisy, corteysye (Kent, West Midland); curtysy (Lancashire)
curtaisi, curtaisy, curtasi, curtasie, curtassy, curtasy, curtasye (especially Northern, Northeast Midland); courtasy, courtassy (Early Scots)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman curteisie, curtesie; equivalent to curteis +‎ -ie.^[1]

The rarity of spellings indicating a pronunciation with /s/ (such as curtassy) would seem to indicate that this analogical pronunciation largely postdates Middle English.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˌkurtæi̯ˈziː(ə)/, /ˈkurtiziː(ə)/^[2]

Noun

curteisie (uncountable)

Chivalric values; chivalrousness, honour, valour.
Courteousness; polite behaviour.
Kindness; charitable or courteous behaviour.
A courtesy; a polite or kind act.

Descendants

English: courtesy, curtsey
Middle Scots: courtasie, curtassy, curtesie
- Scots: curchy

References

^ “cǒurteisīe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
^ Dobson, E[ric] J. (1957), English pronunciation 1500-1700‎^[1], second edition, volume II: Phonology, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1968, →OCLC, § 356, page 930:
Similarly courtesy and jealousy, recorded with the historical [z] by Gil and Bullokar respectively, may owe their later pronunciations with [s] (recorded in courtesy by Bullokar, Robinson, and Hodges and in jealousy by Gil) to the influence of sbs. in -cy (e.g. privacy), as Ekwall suggests; but [s] in courteous and jealous is probably a more potent factor.

[1] “cǒurteisīe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

[2] Dobson, E[ric] J. (1957), English pronunciation 1500-1700‎^[1], second edition, volume II: Phonology, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1968, →OCLC, § 356, page 930:
Similarly courtesy and jealousy, recorded with the historical [z] by Gil and Bullokar respectively, may owe their later pronunciations with [s] (recorded in courtesy by Bullokar, Robinson, and Hodges and in jealousy by Gil) to the influence of sbs. in -cy (e.g. privacy), as Ekwall suggests; but [s] in courteous and jealous is probably a more potent factor.

[1]

[2]