Where does “gentlefolk” come from?
Gentlefolk derives from Middle English folk, Old English folc, and Latin gentilis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill or be full, combined with the suffix -lós.
gentlefolk (English): People of superior social position
Definitions
- People of superior social position
Ancestry of “gentlefolk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | gentle | Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly... |
| 2 | Middle English | gentil | courteous, noble |
| 3 | Old French | gentil | noble; courteous; courtly |
| 4 | Latin | gentīlis | — |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |