An archaic or specialized form meaning noble, graceful, or genteel, or referring to people of non-Jewish heritage in historical contexts.
From Old French gentil, from Latin gentilis meaning 'of or belonging to a gens (clan),' evolved to mean noble or of good family.
The word 'gentil' evolved into 'genteel' and 'gentle'—medieval Europe's class system literally encoded itself into language, where your family lineage determined your 'gentility,' and that linguistic class marker survives in today's words.
Gentil derives from Latin gentilis (of a clan/tribe). In medieval Romance languages, it became associated with nobility and courtly masculinity; women were rarely described as gentil without markers like 'gentil dame' that made their gender explicitly marked, while men's nobility was assumed.
Use 'genteel,' 'refined,' or 'courteous' depending on context. If describing historical texts using 'gentil,' acknowledge it reflected gendered assumptions about which people were presumed noble.
["courteous","refined","noble","well-born"]
Medieval scholarship has recovered women's patronage of gentil literature and courtly culture—women were sophisticated patrons and performers, not passive recipients of courtliness.
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