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

  1. Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly...

Ancestry of “gentle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgentilcourteous, noble
2Old Frenchgentilnoble; courteous; courtly
3Latingentīlisof or belonging to the same family or gēns: kinsman
4Latin-ilis-ile
5Proto-Italic-elis
6Proto-Indo-European-elis
7Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “gentle

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós
gentle — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer