Where does “subtle” come from?
Subtle comes from Middle English subtil, from Old French sotil, from Latin subtilis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European upo meaning under or below.
subtle (English): Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood;...
Definitions
- Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood;...
Ancestry of “subtle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sotil | Using brainpower; smart or wise; Low in a... |
| 2 | Old French | sotil | — |
| 3 | Latin | subtīlis | fine, thin, slender |
| 4 | Latin | tēla | web |
| 5 | Old Dutch | tegela | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *tigulā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tigulǭ | tile; brick |
| 8 | Latin | tēgula | a large, flat and heavy roof tile used in an overlapping formation with the curved and smaller imbrex |
| 9 | Latin | tegō | to cover; to clothe |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | tegō | cover |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)teg- | to cover; pole, stick, beam |