student asking question

Why would people kneel whenever they make a marriage proposal?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Kneeling when one proposes is a tradition that comes from when knights would drop to one knee out of respect for royalty and noblewomen. Many medieval paintings depicting love show men kneeling before a woman. The practice has stayed around since then but has been adapted mainly for marriage proposals. I suppose it still shows respect and devotion to the other person, a kind of devotion.

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