tawaif(m): prostitute, courtesan

Description of tawaif: A tawaif was a highly skilled courtesan, singer, dancer, and poet who entertained the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. The word derives from the Urdu "tawaf," meaning to circle around, referencing the spinning movements central to Kathak dance. Unlike common prostitutes, tawaifs were cultured intellectuals who taught etiquette, poetry, and music to royalty and composed ghazals in refined performance spaces called kothas. Differs from sex