Etymology of the English word gentle
the English word
gentlederived from the Old French word
gentilderived from the Late Latin word
gentilis (gentile; non-Jew; heathen; gentiles; non-Jews; heathens; of same gens; of the same house or family, tribe or race; pagan)
derived from the Latin word
gens (tribe, clan; nation)
derived from the Latin word
gignere (give birth to, bring forth, bear)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*genə-Date
The earliest known usage of gentle in English dates from the 13th century.
Derivations in English
gentlefolk,
gentleman,
gentlewomanCognates
French
gentil, Italian
gentile, Provençal
gentil, Spanish
gentilUsage
Word found in Modern English
