gentile

[gwray]

I am intrigued by the common Latin root for Gentile and genteel —words which can have very different connotations. Gentile can be used neutrally to distinguish a person who is not Jewish. However it can also be used pejoratively: "Such boastings as the Gentiles use, Or lesser breeds without the Law" — Kipling.

While I am intrigued by words that develop in such different ways, I am hesitant in suggesting it as a Good Word. I am not interested in promoting a word which can be so divisive. I prefer Maya Angelou's observation: "We are more alike my friends, than we are unalike."

[Slava]

Intriguing to see that a word that originally meant "not a Christian" came to mean "not a Jew." I wonder how many other words that meant "not us" went on to mean "not us" in reverse.

Here and here are the Dr.'s posts on Genteel.