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A courtesan was originally a courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.〔(Oxford English Dictionary ), v. courtesan, -zan, 1, Obs., "One attached to the court of a prince"; courtesan, -zan, 2, "A court-mistress", Etymon "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"〕 In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together. Prior to the Renaissance, courtesans served to convey information untrusted to servants to visiting dignitaries. In Renaissance Europe, courtiers played an extremely important role in upper-class society. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives—commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances—men and women would often seek gratification and companionship from people living at court. In fact, the verb to court originally meant "to be or reside at court", and later came to mean "to behave as a courtier" and then courtship, or "to pay amorous attention to somebody".〔(''Oxford English Dictionary'' ), v. court, verb〕 The most intimate companion of a ruler was called the favourite. In Renaissance usage, the Italian word ''cortigiana'', feminine of ''cortigiano'' ("courtier") came to refer to a person who attends the court, and then to a well-educated and independent woman, eventually a trained artist or artisan of dance and singing, especially one associated with wealthy, powerful, or upper-class society who provided luxuries and status in exchange for entertainment and companionship.〔In Italy, Baldassare Castiglione in his ''The Book of the Courtier'' uses the masculine form ''cortigiano'' ("courtier") but for the feminine form ''cortigiana'' ("courtesan") uses the term ''donna di palazzo'' (literally "palace lady")〕 The word was borrowed by English from Italian through the French form "courtisane" during the 16th century, especially associated to the meaning of "donna di palazzo".〔 A male figure comparable to the courtesan was the Italian ''cicisbeo'', the French ''chevalier servant'', the Spanish ''cortejo'' or ''estrecho''. It actually seems that the figure of the ''chevalier servant'' (French, literally "serving cavalier", lady's escort) of a married lady was quite common in Europe up to the 18th century.〔(Silvana Patriarca, "Indolence and Regeneration: Tropes and Tensions of Risorgimento Patriotism", The American Historical Review, 110(2), 2005 )〕 The courtesans of East Asia, particularly those of the Japanese empire, held a different social role than that of their European counterparts. Examples of Japanese courtesans included the Oiran class, who were more focused on the aspect of entertainment in comparison with European courtesans.〔("Geisha Dolls" ). University of Florida. 2012-04-08.〕 Today, the term ''courtesan'' has become a euphemism to designate a comforter, escort, mistress or a prostitute, especially one of dignified etiquette who attracts wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. ==Categories== There were two types of courtesan. In one category was a type of courtesan known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta, or the honest courtesan, who was cast as an intellectual. In the other was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. Although the latter was still considered better than an average courtesan, the former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of the nobility. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of "courtisanerie" is best associated. The ''cortigiane oneste'' were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common-sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were well-dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics. In some cases, courtesans were from well-to-do backgrounds, and were even married—but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses' status—and so, more often than not, the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「courtesan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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