Etymologically
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noble

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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
  • 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