| 释义 |
▪ I. † courtesan, -zan, n.1 and a. Obs.
Also 5 courtezane, -sane, 6 curtisan, 7 courtisan.
[a. F. courtisan, ad. It. cortigiano, in Florio cortegiano a courtier, f. corte court. It. cortigiano is primarily adj., app. an extension of cortese (cortesi-ano) in its etymological sense (see courteous): cf. Parma, Parmese, Parmigiano, Parmesan.]
A. n. One attached to the court of a prince:
a. in 15–16th c. commonly used for a member of the papal Curia. (Cf. Boccaccio Decam., ‘le maniere del papa{ddd}e di tutti i cortigiani’.)
1426Paston Lett. No. 7 I. 24 On Maister Robert Sutton, a courtezane of the Court of Rome. Ibid. 25 Maister John Blodwelle..a suffisant courtezan of the seyd court. 1460J. Capgrave Chron. 216 With fraude of the courtesanes, whech were commensalis with the Pope, thei were illuded. 1563–87Foxe A. & M. (1684) I. 198/1 That it should be lawful for a few Curtisans and Cardinals..to chuse what Pope they list.
b. transf.
1669Phil. Trans. IV. 986 Their Priests, and Courtisans, that is, the Learn'd among them [in Japan], which bear the Offices of the Court.
B. adj. (here used absol.). The court language (of Italy).
1549Thomas Hist. Italie 3 Consideryng what a noumbre of diversitees they haue in theyr tounge, it is a merualle, that in maner all gentilmen dooe speake the courtisane. 1601R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 104 [Italy], To be discerned from the vulgar, they all in generall speake the courtisan.
▪ II. courtesan, -zan2|ˈkɔətɪzæn, ˈkɜːt-|
Forms: 6 (cortegian), curtisaine, cortisan, 6–7 curtisan, -zan, 7 curtesan, -zan(e, courtisan(e, 6– courtesan, 7– -zan.
[a. F. courtisane, ad. It. cortigiana, in Florio cortegiana ‘a curtezane, a strumpet’, orig. woman attached to the court, fem. of cortigiano. In quotation 1565 directly from Italian. Formerly always pronounced (kɜː-), which, c 1893, was still said by many, though |kɔə-| was the growing usage; the latter is now standard.]
A court-mistress; a woman of the town, a prostitute. (A somewhat euphemistic appellation: cf. quots. 1607, 1635.)
1549Thomas Hist. Italie 84 b, The rest of the brethren dooe keepe Courtisanes. 1565Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 409 M. Harding..hath beene in Rome, hath seene Bishops, and Cardinals men of warre..Open Stewes so deerely rented: so many thousand Cortegians so well regarded. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 369 His misdemeanours..with courtesans and common strumpets. 1607E. Sharpham Fleire D ij b, Your whore is for euery rascall, but your Curtizan is for your Courtier. 1635E. Pagitt Christianogr. i. (1646) 147 The name Courtezan (being the most honest synonymy that is given to a Whore) had his originall from the Court of Rome. 1665Boyle Occas. Refl. (1675) 342 Accus'd to have dress'd her like a Curtizan. a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Curtezan, a gentile fine Miss, or Quality Whore. 1748Smollett Rod. Rand. I. 296 The lewd leer of a courtezan. 1855Milman Lat. Chr. (1864) II. iii. iv. 420 She had ministered to the licentious pleasures of the populace as a courtezan. 1868J. H. Blunt Ref. Ch. Eng. I. 160 The ambitious courtesan who now ruled the king.
fig.1605Bacon Adv. Learn. i. v. §11 That knowledge may not be as a courtesan, for pleasure..but as a spouse, for generation. 1632Lithgow Trav. i. (1682) 18 For fear of Excommunication from that Anti-christian Curtezan.
Hence ˈcourtesan v. nonce-wd., to make or treat as a courtesan. ˈcourtesanism, ˈcourtesanship, the practice and position of a courtesan.
1654Gayton Pleas. Notes i. iii. 13 The Ladies..curtesied him, but he curtizaned not them. 1840(title), Woman, Physiologically considered as to Mind, Morals, Marriage..Concubinage, Courtezanism, Infidelity, Divorce, etc. 1840Tait's Mag. VII. 562 She amassed no wealth by her courtezanship. 1880J. W. Ebsworth in Bagf. Ballads, Amanda Group 534* We might have shown the Courtezanship, not only of Stuart times, but also during the reign of the Virgin Queen. |