gentle

The story

1. Latin · derived fromgentilis“of the same family or clan”
2. Old French · derived fromgentil“high-born, noble”
3. Middle English · inherited fromgentil“courteous, noble”
4. English todaygentle

From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.

Words from the same roots