Middle English Dictionary Entry
ǧentī̆l n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ǧentī̆l n. |
| Etymology | From gentil adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A member of the nobility or gentry; -- often implying a person of refined or aristocratic tastes; coll. the nobles, the gentry; (b) lordes (nobles, knightes) and gentiles, gentiles and yemanrie, gentiles and communes, cherl and ~.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.87 : Kyng Egelrede, by þe counseille of his gentilles [Higd.(2): of his gentillemen; L procerum], paied to þe Danes a tribute.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.99 : Þe bisshoppes, abbotes, and gentiles of þe lond.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.323 : Right anon thise gentils [vrr. gentelys, gentle, gentyll] gonne to crye: 'Nat lat hym telle vs of no ribaudye!'
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.217 : The gentile in estat aboue, She shal be cleped his lady, as in loue; And for that oother is a poure womman, She shal be cleped his wrenche or his lemman.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1209 : Thogh noon auctoritee Were in no book, ye gentils [vr. gentil] of honour Seyn that men sholde an old wight doon fauour.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.480 : Thogh to me that ye be lief and deere, Vnto my gentils ye be no thyng so..that born art of a smal village.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1216 : Þer watz þe kyng kaȝt..And alle hise gentyle forjusted on Jerico playnes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)542 : Mony ioylez for þat ientyle [Gawain] iapez þer maden.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)175/31 : Alle þe gentiles þat had be wiþ þe Erl Symond were disheritede.
- (1403) Let.Hen.IV in RS 18.1 (Cleo F.3)158 : They beon sende oute with Sherref and other gentils of oure Schire.
- (c1404) *Exch.Misc.Deed (PRO) (PRO)6.28d : There schold be al þe Jentylis of þe Contrey, because of a solemne othe that þe forsayd Abbot schold swere.
- (1420) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.1.17 : I suppose to speke with many of the gentyls there.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)166/6 : Euery man þere bereth ij bowes..And the gentyles han schorte speres.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)716 : Ynto the halle, when thou dost wende, Amonges the genteles good and hende, Presume not to hye for nothynge.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)64 : There weren..slayne and drovned more than vc gentilles off Bretons and Normandes.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)153 : That man may not resceyvyn burgeysys, knyghtes, and gentiles of the cuntre.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)437 : This gentill [Medea] by Jason ioinet was to sit.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)7718 : Many pepill þai robbid..And of gentils some þai kyld.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.372 : That good rewle and pease may be hadd bytwene Gentylls of the shire and the cyte.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.191 : It felle so that this galaunt was at debate With diuerse gentiles of his contree.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)662 : The myghthiest men of the worlde and the grettest gentles of Rome.
- a1500 Thos.Ercel.(Hat 56)575 : Fro þat place will þey nat gon, Til they drynk of gentils blode..So shall þey fight, as þey were wood.
b
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)156 : Therfore the king and trewe lordis and gentilis of the rewme purueieth wysli that feithful and fre prechinge of the gospel be not quenchid..bi disciplis of antecrist.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.2693 : Of cherl & gentil make this dyuisioun..The stok thei cam fro, therto thei wil resorte.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)4099 : To lordes and gentilys..and eke to por men.
- (1442) Doc.Ireland in RS 69274 : It was desired by the substance of the gentils and commones of the same londe, that the said Erlle shulde in no wise be his Depute.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)29 : Al þe puple, boþe gentiles & comuns, moun seie to hem: 'blynde leches, heeleþ first ȝoure silf!'
- c1450 Brut-1434 (Cmb Hh.6.9)443/18 : He was brent..in presence of þe Duke of Gloucestre, & of þe Duke of Northfolk..þe Erle of Stafforde, & oþer lordes & Jentilles, & afore all þe comuners þat were there present.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)46/21 : An erl..sate in his paleys at mete wyth knyghtes & gentlys.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)118 : Owre kynge was in his tent, with his lordes and with his gentilis.
- (1472) Grant Arms in Antiq.49289 : To alle Nobles and gentilles theise present Lettres, [etc.].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)1/8 : Now lystenyth us..Gentyllys and ȝemanry.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)144/5 : A kynge sholde not swere..ffor that appendyth to subiectes and to Serwauntes, and noght to gentiles ne to nobles.
2.
A chivalrous, excellent, or worthy person.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2199 : The wommen loven worthinesse Of manhode and of gentilesse, For the gentils ben most desired.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4049 : Þis was ioseph..þat wise, þat chast, þat gentile, þat siþen suffrid sua gret perele.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)602 : 'Of more and lasse in Godez ryche,' þat gentyl sayde, 'lys no joparde.'
3.
(a) One who is not a Christian, a pagan; (b) one who is not a Jew, a gentile; (c) ?a nation or people [translating L gentes as if gentiles].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.10.4 : Alle wickidnesses of the Jentiles [WB(2): hethene men].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.9.1 : The weie of the se beȝunde Jordan of Galilee of Jentiles [WB(2): of hethene men; L gentium].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1271 : The Cronique..Seith that the gentils most of alle Worschipen hire [Diana].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)18.132 : Iewes, gentiles [vrr. gentil, ientil], and sarrasines Iugen hem-selue That leeliche þei by-leyuen.
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 16.3 : Hise fadir was a gentile or a paynyme.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.114v : After the dome of the hethen gentils he may be lightlyche excused.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.99r : A peple cleped Wenedes .. hauen þis maner þat whan þe housbond is dede þe wif for loue of hure housbond wol put herself to brenne in þe fuyr. Yf thenne suche gentils .. haue suche loue in honest and chast lyuyng, what falleþ þenne to þe, derworth sone, þat ert Xristene and a kyng?
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)178 : That Cristen wymen, where thei can espy In thies Gentyls, which we Pagans call, Ony vertue or dede, that is worthy In Cristen folke to be in memory [etc.].
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)544 : The Gentyls, as poetys done vs lere, Callyd on Juno for helpe.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)109 : Thai desired to haue a kynge, as tho hade al the gentiles, wich we cal peynymes.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.17 : Thouȝhe the figmentes of gentiles [L gentilium] and dictes of ethnikes be inmixte to this werke, thei do seruyce to the Cristen religion and feythe.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)41/118 : Al goddes of gentyles, that is to say, paynims, are divels.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)697 : Joue, þat gentillis held for a iust god.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2859 : The yle..lyuet after law of þe lell gentils Þat Venus..worshippit.
b
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Col.3.11 : Wher ne is noȝ male & femal, Iew & Gentyl, circumscysyoun & prepucye, vncouþe man & couþ man, bonde man & fre man.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)345 : Petre..wolde not dele with Gentiles for tendirnesse of þe Jewis.
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 11.18 : Þei..þanked God ande saide..'God haues gifen vnto þo gentiles penaunce to þo lyfe euerlastande.'
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 28.31 : Poule..receyued alle þat come to hym, þo Iewes ande þo naciones þat wore called gentiles.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)6 : He..synnid opunly..constreyning þe gentil to be com Jewes in obseruaunce.
c
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)54a/a : His seed shal growe in to gentyles [Vulg. Gen.48.19: gentes].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1456 ?Lydg.Rex Salamon (Ashm 59)p.61 : Gentyle of nacoun.
Note: Phr. not covered in definition under sense 3.(b)