noble

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈnəʊbəl/ (UK); /ˈnoʊbəl/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French noble, from Latin nōbilis (“well known, famous; high-born”), earlier gnōbilis, literally “knowable”,^[2][3][4] related to nōscere (“to come to know”), from PIE Proto-Indo-European *gno- (“to know”) (see know).^[3][2][5] The well-known Roman families provided most of the Republic's officials.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Illustrious or distinguished: probably before 1200, in the Ancrene Riwle, in Barnhart, before 1225 in the OED;^[2][6] of high rank or birth, about 1200 in Etymonline.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Distinguished by splendour or magnificence is from the late 13th century,^[3][4] and worthy of honour or respect from probably before 1300, in Kyng Alisaunder.^[2] Having lofty character or high moral qualities is from about 1600.^[3][6] The noun, a person of noble rank, is from about 1300,^[2][3] and the noble was also an English gold coin first issued under Edward III.^[3] Noble metals were those that did not tarnish (late 14th century), and the noble gases (1902) are so called for their inertness.^[3][2] The noble savage is from Dryden's Conquest of Granada (1672).^[3]

Timeline

• before 1200 – illustrious.^[2]
• before 1300 – worthy of honour.^[2]
• c. 1300 – a nobleman.^[2][3]
• c. 1600 – morally lofty.^[3]
• 1672 – the noble savage.^[3]
• 1902 – noble gas.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Belonging to a high social class with hereditary titles; aristocratic.
2. Having or showing high moral qualities; magnanimous.
3. Impressive in appearance; grand or stately.
4. (chemistry) Of a metal or gas, chemically inactive.

Noun

1. A member of the nobility.
2. (historical) An English gold coin.

Word family

• nobleness
• nobly
• nobleman
• ennoble
• nobility
• noble-minded
• noblewoman
• nonnoble

Related words

• know
• notable
• ignoble
• noblesse

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press