Quote:
Originally posted by Taualumna
But did the French refer to their daughters' coming-out as "debutantes"?
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Not exactly; the correct French word for the "coming out" itself is
debut.
Debutante (which is the feminine form; the masculine is
debutant) can be either a noun or an adjective meaning "beginner." By some extension, it can mean either "one who makes a
debut" (noun) or "having to do with a
debut" (adjective). Thus, a woman who makes a
debut is a
debutante, and a ball or cotillion held for the purpose of
debuts is a
debutante ball or cotillion.
While these words are unquestionably French, their usage in the context of a young lady's "coming out" appears to have orginated in England and was later adopted in France.
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