Where does “subtil” come from?
subtil (Middle English) comes from Middle English sotil, from Old French sotil, from Latin subtīlis, from Latin tēla, from Old Dutch tegela, from Proto-Germanic *tigulā, from Proto-Germanic tigulǭ, from Latin tēgula — to cover; pole, stick, beam.
subtil (Middle English): Alternative form of sotil
Definitions
- Alternative form of sotil
Ancestry of “subtil”, step by step
subtil traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sotil
| 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 |
via Old French soutil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | soutil | — |
| 2 | Latin | subtilis | fine, thin, slender; precise, accurate, keen;... |
| 3 | Latin | tela | web; warp; loom |
| 4 | Latin | texo | I weave; I plait, intertwine |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | teksō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |
via Old French subtil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | subtil | — |