Where does “gentle” come from?
Gentle comes from Middle English gentil, from Old French gentil, from Latin gentilis meaning "of a clan or family," derived from Latin -ilis and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to beget or produce."
gentle (English): Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly...
Definitions
- Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly...
Ancestry of “gentle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gentil | courteous, noble |
| 2 | Old French | gentil | noble; courteous; courtly |
| 3 | Latin | gentīlis | — |
| 4 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
Words derived from “gentle”