Kowtow
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Kowtow, which is borrowed from kau tau in Cantonese (koutou in Mandarin Chinese), is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. An alternative Chinese term is ketou; however, the meaning is somewhat altered: kou (叩) has the general meaning of knock, whereas ke (磕) has the general meaning of "touch upon (a surface)", tou (頭) meaning head. The date of this custom's origin is probably sometime between the Spring and Autumn Period, or the Warring States Period of China's history because it is already known to have been a custom by the time of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC).
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See also
- Chinese social relations
- Culture of China
- Yeongeunmun
- Finger kowtow:
- Posture emoticons
- Foot washing, another act of extreme humility
- Gadaw, a Burmese form of obeisance akin to kowtow
- John Moyse
- Salute
- Shuysky Tribute Eastern European version
- Sifu
- Sujud, prostration to Allah
- Orz
- Dogeza
- Proskynesis
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