gentle or simple

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From gentle in the sense of "noble, well-born".

Adjective

gentle or simple (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Of any social standing.
    • 1742, Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews:
      She is the sweetest-tempered, honestest, worthiest, young creature ; indeed, as to her beauty, I do not commend her on that account, though all men allow she is the handsomest woman, gentle or simple, that ever appeared in the parish.
    • 1743, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, The History of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha:
      Reader, gentle or simple, or whatever you be, how impatiently by this time must you expect this Preface, supposing it to be nothing but revengeful Invectives against the Author of the second Don Quixote.
    • 1840, James Fenimore Cooper, Mercedes of Castile: or, The voyage to Cathay - Volume 1, pages 38–39:
      When a maiden, gentle or simple, intendeth marriage against her kinsmen's wishes, it is the way to wed first, and to write the letter and ask the blessing when the evil is done."
    • 2011, Dorothy Scarborough, Humorous Ghost Stories, →ISBN:
      They did well, too, and moved with the times, and kept their heads high for more generations than I can call home; and then they comed to what all families, whether gentle or simple, always come to soon or late.

Noun

gentle or simple pl (plural only)

  1. (archaic) All people, of any social standing.
    • 1846, Llewelyn's heir; or North Wales, its manners, customs and superstitions, page 76:
      And who is there amongst the gentle or simple that ever heard my name, that would bring me a cup of butter-milk, though they knew that I was parched with thirst ; or a morsel of bread if I were dying of hunger?
    • 2011, Charles Wilkins, History of the Iron, Steel, Tinplate and Other Trades of Wales, →ISBN, page 129:
      Gentle or simple, man or woman, never came in for flattery at his hand, and hence his criticism of Lady Charlotte's work is worth pages of eulogistic comment.
    • 2013, Joseph Furphy, Such is Life: Text Classics, →ISBN, page 299:
      Also, the man glaringly destitute of integrity or capacity, but noticed as having a bullet-head, a square jaw, countersunk eyes, and the rest in proportion, is suspected of having the other kind of force in reserve; and we know how he escapes anything like wanton personal indignity in his intercourse with gentle or simple.
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