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Stage 1 of 4
gentilis
Latin · ancient
"of the same family; noble"
'of the same clan', later 'of noble birth' in Medieval Latin
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Stage 2 of 4
gentil
Old French · 1000s
"high-born, noble"
kept the sense of high birth
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Stage 3 of 4
gentil
French · medieval
"stylish, elegant, graceful"
softened from noble birth to elegant, fashionable manners
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Stage 4 of 4
genteel
English · 1590s
"fashionably elegant, suitable for polite society"
borrowed with an altered pronunciation to distinguish it from the earlier loan 'gentle'
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