LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

gentīlis1

gentīlis (neuter gentīle, adverb gentīliter)
Classical[ɡɛnˈtiː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[d͡ʒenˈtiː.lis]

Meaning

  1. two terminationof or belonging to the same family or gēns: kinsman
  2. two terminationof or relating to a tribe or clan: clansman, tribesman
  3. two terminationof or belonging to the same people or nation
  4. two terminationof slaves who bore the same name as their master
  5. poetictwo terminationforeign, exotic

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegentīlisgentīlisgentīle
genitivegentīlisgentīlisgentīlis
dativegentīlīgentīlīgentīlī
accusativegentīlemgentīlemgentīle
ablativegentīlīgentīlīgentīlī
vocativegentīlisgentīlisgentīle
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativegentīlēsgentīlēsgentīlia
genitivegentīliumgentīliumgentīlium
dativegentīlibusgentīlibusgentīlibus
accusativegentīlīs
gentīlēs		gentīlīs
gentīlēs		gentīlia
ablativegentīlibusgentīlibusgentīlibus
vocativegentīlēsgentīlēsgentīlia

gentīlis, e, adj. gens.
I. Of or belonging to the same clan (gens), stock, or race; and subst.: gentīlis, is, com., a person belonging to the same family or gens, a relative bearing the same name (syn.: gentilicus, genticus; cf. also: cognatus, agnatus, affinis): gentiles sunt, qui inter se eodem nomine sunt, qui ab ingenuis oriundi sunt, quorum majorum nemo servitutem servivit, qui capite non sunt deminuti, Cic. Top. 6, 29: gentilis dicitur et ex eodem genere ortus et is qui simili nomine appellatur; ut ait Cincius, gentiles mihi sunt, qui meo nomine appellantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 94 Müll.: SI FVRIOSVS EST AGNATORVM GENTILIVMQVE IN EO PECVNIAQVE EIVS POTESTAS ESTO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 148: SI AGNATVS NEC ESCIT, GENTILIS FAMILIAM NANCITOR, id. ap. Collat. Legg. Mosaic. et Rom. 16, 4: si nullus agnatus sit, eadem lex XII. tabularum gentiles ad hereditatem vocat, Gai. Inst. 3, 17; cf. Ulp. Fragm. 26, 1 a.: tuus gentilis (thy kinsman), Brute, M. Pennus, Cic. Brut. 28, 109: sordidatus cum gentilibus clientibusque, Liv. 3, 58, 1: e duobus gentilibus, Suet. Tib. 1: homines deorum immortalium quasi gentiles, Cic. Univ. 11: tuus paene gentilis, thy namesake, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 77, § 190; cf., jestingly: fuit enim (Pherecydes) meo regnante gentili (i. e. Ser. Tullio), id. Tusc. 1, 16, 38.—Adj.: nomen, Suet. Ner. 41: stemma, id. ib. 37: monumentum Domitiorum, id. ib. 50: copia, out of their own gens, id. Vit. 1: gentile domus nostrae bonum, Tac. A. 2, 37; cf. manus (i. e. Fabii), Ov. F. 2, 198: odia, family enmity (of Hanno towards Hannibal), Sil. 2, 277: capillo erat pone occipitium summissiore, quod gentile in illo videbatur, peculiar to the family, hereditary, Suet. Tib. 68.—Prov. (cf. the law for the insane, supra): mente est captus atque ad agnatos et gentiles est deducendus, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 8.—
II. Transf. *
A. Of slaves who bore the name of their masters: apud antiquos singuli Marcipores Luciporesve dominorum gentiles omnem victum in promiscuo habebant, Plin. 33, 1, 6, § 26.—
B. Poet., of plants: non gentilia poma, i. e. foreign, exotic, Calp. Ecl. 2, 41.—
C. In a more extended sense (acc. to gens, II. F.), of or belonging to the same people or nation, national; and subst., a fellow-countryman (post-Aug.): multis et validis propinquitatibus subnixus turbare gentiles nationes promptum haberet, Tac. A. 11, 1 fin.: solum, id. ib. 3, 59: imperium, id. ib. 6, 32: religio, id. ib. 12, 34: levitas, id. ib. 12, 14; utilitas, id. ib. 12, 17: lina, Sil. 4, 223; cf. metallum, id. 16, 465: gurges, Stat. Th. 9, 297.—Subst., Gell. 17, 17, 2.—
2. In partic.
a. In opp. to Roman: gentīles, foreigners: nulli gentilium provincialis femina copuletur, Cod. Th. 3, 14, 1; 11, 30, 62; Aus. Grat. Act. 4: cum scutariis et gentilibus, Amm. 14, 7: nullum autem ex gentilibus liberum adprobari licet, Fragm. Jur. Rom. Vat. 34 Huschke.—
b. In eccl. Lat., opp. to Jewish or Christian, heathen, pagan, gentile; and subst.: gentīlis, is, m., a heathen, a pagan: vulgus, Prud. στεφ. 10, 464: nugae, id. adv. Symm. 1, 576: gentilium litterarum libri, Hier. Ep. 22, 30; Vulg. Tob. 1, 12; id. Act. 14, 5.—Sup.: Sextus Pythagorēus, homo gentilissimus, Hier. in Jerem. 4, 22.—Hence, adv.: gentīlĭter (acc. to II. C.; late Lat.).
1. After the manner or in the language of a country: Cretes Dianam Britomarten gentiliter nominant, in their native language, Sol. 11, 8; 20, 8.—
2. Heathenishly, Fulg. Discuss. Arian. 4; Vulg. Gal. 2, 14.

Origins

From gēns (“clan, tribe”) + -īlis (“-ile”).

Descendants
  • Englishgentle
  • Englishgentry
  • Englishgenteel
  • Frenchgentil
  • Italiangentile
  • Portuguesegentil
  • Spanishgentil
  • Bourguignonjanti

In English words that came into English from gentīlis

  • gentlegentīlis
  • gentilegentīlis
  • genteelgentīlis
  • gentilicgentīlis
noun · masculinethird declension
gentīlis2
gentīlis m (genitive gentīlis)

Meaning

  1. heathen, pagan

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegentīlisgentīlēs
genitivegentīlisgentīlium
dativegentīlīgentīlibus
accusativegentīlemgentīlēs
gentīlīs
ablativegentīlīgentīlibus
vocativegentīlisgentīlēs

Origins

Semantic loan from Biblical Hebrew גּוֹי (goi).

Descendants
  • Englishgentile
  • EnglishGentile
  • Frenchgentil
  • Italiangentile
  • Portuguesegentio
  • Spanishgentil
  • Bourguignonjanti
  • Tetumjentiufrom Portuguese gentio

Quick answers

What does gentīlis mean in Latin?
gentīlis, a adjective, means “of or belonging to the same family or gēns: kinsman; of or relating to a tribe or clan: clansman, tribesman; of or belonging to the same people or nation”.
How do you pronounce gentīlis?
In classical Latin, [ɡɛnˈtiː.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [d͡ʒenˈtiː.lis].
Which English words come from gentīlis?
English words that go back to Latin gentīlis include gentle, gentile, genteel and gentilic.