The state, quality, or rank of being gentle or of gentle birth; nobility of character or status.
Combination of 'gentle' and the suffix '-ship' (from Old English -scipe, meaning condition or rank). This compound follows the pattern of words like 'kingship' and 'friendship' to denote a state or quality.
The suffix '-ship' is a linguistic time-traveler: it originally meant 'shape' or 'condition' in Old English, but became English's favorite way to mark important statuses and ranks, which is why we still use it for ships (the shape that floats).
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