Etymology Map
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Subtle

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means delicate and hard to detect

Where does the word "subtle" come from? It comes from Latin subtilis, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
subtilis
Latin · ancient
"finely woven"
'sub-', under, plus 'tela', web, the root of 'textile'
2
Stage 2 of 3
sotil
Old French · medieval
"thin, clever"
the 'b' was restored from Latin but stays silent
3
Stage 3 of 3
subtle
English · 1300s
"fine; clever"
'subtlety' dates from the 1300s
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Read the full story

Subtle’s story begins in Latin: subtilis meant “finely woven.” 'sub-', under, plus 'tela', web, the root of 'textile'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as sotil. The 'b' was restored from Latin but stays silent. It reached English by 1300s as subtle. 'subtlety' dates from the 1300s. Today, subtle means delicate and hard to detect.