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.
Now that you know that, you can say--
ReplyDelete"The old gentle mannered rabbi thought his gentile host was very genteel."
Your statement that virtually all Gentiles are circumsized is completely false. In the United States, the majority of men in totality are circumcised by a wide majority. However this is only the case in the USA.
ReplyDeleteIn Europe, and other parts of the world, virtually all men are uncircumcised.
Check some facts please, but thanks for the distinction on these words. I appreciate that!