Kowtow
/ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/noun
To act with excessive deference or servility.
Did you know?Kowtow comes from a Cantonese court ritual, and in English it shifted from a specific act of prostration to a symbol of power, hierarchy, and forced obedience.
Etymological Timeline
Qing Dynasty
Cantonese
kau3 tau4
“to knock the head; to perform a deep ceremonial prostration”
18th Century
English
kowtow
“the act of bowing with the forehead to the ground in Chinese court ritual”
19th Century
English
kowtow
“to submit humbly or act with excessive deference”
Modern English
English
kowtow
“to behave in a servile or overly deferential way”
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