Wordwyrt

gentleness

/ˈdʒentəlnəs/JEN-tuhl-nuhs
/ˈdʒɛntəlnəs/JEN-tuhl-nuhs

Meaningthe state of being gentle

Common meaning: mild kindness

Journey through time

  1. Latingentilissource
  2. Old Frenchgentilsource
  3. Middle Englishgentilsource
  4. Englishgentle‘mild, kind’
  5. Englishformed in English from gentlegentleness‘mild kindness’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from gentle + -ness.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), GENTLE, p.231 · scan

Source words

  • gentilis Latin · source word “of a good family”

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