Etymology Explorer › Middle English

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

  1. Alternative form of sotil

Ancestry of “subtil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsotilUsing brainpower; smart or wise; Low in a...
2Old Frenchsotil—
3Latinsubtīlis—
4Latintēla—
5Old Dutchtegela—
6Proto-Germanic*tigulā—
7Proto-Germanictigulǭtile; brick
8Latintēgula—
9Latintegō—
10Proto-Italictegōcover
11Proto-Indo-European(s)teg-to cover; pole, stick, beam

Words derived from “subtil”

  • subtle
  • unsubtle
  • unsubtly
  • supersubtle
  • subtlely
  • oversubtle
  • nonsubtle
  • subtely
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)teg- →