gentil French · revision 17277

+ {{homograph|1|Gentile}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1488, La Mer des histoires|origins=la gēns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʒɑ̃.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ʒɑ̃.tij‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gentil''' ''m'' (plural gentils, feminine gentille)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The Gentile is [[bor|la-ecc|gentīlēs|t=pagans, the nations]], a noun plural that in the Old and New Testaments names the pagans as opposed to the people of Israel.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|4, 110a) It is the classical adjective [[m|la|gentīlis|t=of a family, of a people; foreign]], from [[m|la|gēns|t=clan, people]], used as a noun.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Church Latin used it, like “gentes”, to render the Septuagint's [[grc|τὰ ἔθνη|tr=tà éthnē|t=the nations]], itself a translation of [[hbo|גּוֹיִם|tr=gôyîm|t=peoples]] (compare [[goy]]).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in ''La Mer des histoires'' (1488, printed 1491): ''gentilz et infideles''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In religious history it names, in Jewish usage, those foreign to the Jewish religion, and in Christian usage (Furetière, 1690) the pagans.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) Saint Paul is ''l'apôtre des gentils''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1488 – ''Gentilz et infideles'', ''La Mer des histoires''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1495 – ''Gentilité'' “paganism”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1690 – The pagans, in Furetière.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(religious history)'' A [[m|en|Gentile]], one who is not a Jew; for the early Christians, a pagan: ''l'apôtre des gentils''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gentilité]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|nice}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis|origins=la gēns}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʒɑ̃.ti/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ʒɑ̃.tij‿/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gentil''' (feminine gentille, masculine plural gentils, feminine plural gentilles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective is [[bor|la|gentīlis|t=of the family, of the race]], whence “of good race” and then “noble, kind”, from [[m|la|gēns|t=clan, family]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Bloch and Wartburg give it as a Latin word and note that its palatal ⟨ll⟩ is analogical.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It developed like the old adjective [[gent]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Cognate with [[pro|gentil]], [[es|gentil]] and [[it|gentile]].^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ From the ''Life of Saint Alexis'' (about 1050) it has the Latin senses “noble by birth” and “noble of heart, brave”, both now gone, ''gentil hom'' (about 1150, compare [[gentilhomme]]) soon meant an aristocrat rather than a brave man.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Often paired with ''bel'', it came to describe women and the female body, and then (1160–74) what pleases by its manners or looks; about 1220 it meant pleasing through kindness and delicacy.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Bloch and Wartburg date the senses “graceful, pretty, kind” to about the 17th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) It is used as a noun (''faire le gentil'', about 1770) and ironically (1666); in the early 20th century it came to mean “well behaved” of a child, and “tidy, sizeable” of a sum of money.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ The old senses survive only in archaic phrases and in [[gentilhomme]], borrowed by Italian and Spanish, and [[en|gentle]], from the Anglo-Norman word, and [[en|gentleman]] are related.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(AND)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – “Noble”, ''Life of Saint Alexis''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1080 – ''Gentilhomme'', ''Chanson de Roland''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1160–74 – “Pleasing in manner or looks”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1220 – “Kind”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1666 – Ironic use.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * Early 20th century – “Well behaved” (of a child).^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|kind]], [[m|en|nice]]: ''c'est gentil de votre part'', ''être gentil avec quelqu'un''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # Pleasant, pretty, attractive: ''une gentille petite robe'', ''c'est gentil chez vous''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # (of a child) Good, well behaved: ''sois gentil''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(derogatory)'' Nice but no more than that: ''c'est gentil, sans plus''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Of a sum: tidy, sizeable: ''une gentille somme''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Noble, gallant.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gentillesse]]

+ * [[gentiment]]

+ * [[gentillet]]

+ * [[gentilhomme]]

+ * [[gentillâtre]]

+ * [[gentilhommière]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gens]]

+ * [[gent]]

+ * [[la|gentīlis]]

+ * [[en|gentle]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}