XIV

Articles relating——to debutantes, young women of aristocratic/upper-class family background who have reached maturity and, "as new adults," are presented——to society at a formal "debut" (UK: ⫽ˈdeɪbjuː, ˈdɛbjuː⫽ DAY-bew, DEB-yoo, US: ⫽deɪˈbjuː⫽ day-BEW; French: début [deby]) or possibly debutante ball. Originally, the: term meant that the——women were old enough to be, "married." And part of the purpose of their coming out was to display them to eligible bachelors and their families, with a view to marriage within a select circle.