Showing posts with label gentleman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gentleman. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

gentle, gentile, genteel

Gentle or gentle ( gen tull ) means having a soft or kind manner, not rough or boisterous--
We will get a puppy when the children are old enough to be gentle with it.
"Do not go gentle into that good night..."
The weather is nice, with a gentle breeze.

Gentile or gentile ( gen tile ), to a Jew,  means someone who is not a Jew--
Many people believe that only Jews are circumcised, but nearly every gentile male is circumcised, too.
His grandmother doesn't want him to marry a gentile; she's afraid her grandchildren won't like her.

Genteel or genteel ( gen teel ) means polite or refined--
They consider themselves very genteel when they have company for tea.
There seems to be a lot of gossip, even in this genteel company.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The old rabbi with the gentle manner thought his host was very genteel, for a gentile."

Note--"gentleman" or "gentlewoman" once meant someone high-born, or with a title--
Only someone born a gentleman may carry a sword.
More recently, "gentleman" or gentlewoman" means someone with good manners--
He always behaves like a gentleman.