The superlative form of gentle; the most mild, soft, or kind.
From Middle English 'gentil,' from Old French 'gentil,' from Latin 'gentilis' (of the same family). The '-est' superlative ending creates the most extreme form.
Gentle originally meant 'of noble birth' in medieval times—the idea was that nobility should be gentle! Over centuries, the word lost its class meaning and became about kindness instead, showing how social values shift.
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