courtship

thumb|God Speed (painting)|God Speed by English artist [[Edmund Leighton, 1900: depicting an armored knight departing for war and leaving behind his wife or sweetheart]] Courtship is the period when some couples become familiar with each other prior to a possible marriage or committed, de facto relationship. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private matter between two people or may be a public affair, or a formal arrangement with family approval. Traditionally, in the case of a formal heterosexual engagement, it is the role of a male to actively "court" or "woo" a female, thus encouraging the female to be receptive to a marriage proposal.

Courtship as a social practice is a relatively recent phenomenon, emerging only within the last few centuries. From the standpoint of anthropology and sociology, courtship is linked with other institutions such as marriage and the family which have changed rapidly, having been subject to the effects of advances in technology and medicine.