subtil (comparative more subtil, superlative most subtil)
subtil m or f (masculine and feminine plural subtils)
From Latin subtīlis (“fine, thin”), from sub + tēla (“a web”).
subtil
Inflection of subtil | |||
---|---|---|---|
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
Indefinte common singular | subtil | — | —2 |
Indefinite neuter singular | subtilt | — | —2 |
Plural | subtile | — | —2 |
Definite attributive1 | subtile | — | — |
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively. |
From Middle French subtil, from Old French subtil (13th c.), byform of sotil (12th c.), itself inherited from Latin subtīlis. Old French subtil may still represent the inherited form if it stands for the pronunciation /su.til/. The modern /y/ is of semi-learned origin. The b probably came to be pronounced even later; Middle French variant spellings like sutil, suttil suggest that it was still mostly silent.
subtil (feminine subtile, masculine plural subtils, feminine plural subtiles)
From Middle High German subtīl (13th c.), from Latin subtīlis. It was fairly well integrated in Middle High German. Accordingly a diphthongised form subteil is attested (albeit rarely) and the word is also current in some dialects. Since the 18th century it has become less frequent and more restricted to learned parlance.
subtil (strong nominative masculine singular subtiler, comparative subtiler, superlative am subtilsten)
number & gender | singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | feminine | neuter | |||
predicative | er ist subtil | sie ist subtil | es ist subtil | sie sind subtil | |
strong declension (without article) |
nominative | subtiler | subtile | subtiles | subtile |
genitive | subtilen | subtiler | subtilen | subtiler | |
dative | subtilem | subtiler | subtilem | subtilen | |
accusative | subtilen | subtile | subtiles | subtile | |
weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der subtile | die subtile | das subtile | die subtilen |
genitive | des subtilen | der subtilen | des subtilen | der subtilen | |
dative | dem subtilen | der subtilen | dem subtilen | den subtilen | |
accusative | den subtilen | die subtile | das subtile | die subtilen | |
mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein subtiler | eine subtile | ein subtiles | (keine) subtilen |
genitive | eines subtilen | einer subtilen | eines subtilen | (keiner) subtilen | |
dative | einem subtilen | einer subtilen | einem subtilen | (keinen) subtilen | |
accusative | einen subtilen | eine subtile | ein subtiles | (keine) subtilen |
subtil
subtil (masculine and feminine subtil, neuter subtilt, definite singular and plural subtile)
subtil (neuter subtilt, definite singular and plural subtile)
subtil m or f (plural subtis)
Borrowed from French subtil and Latin subtīlis. Doublet of subțire.
subtil m or n (feminine singular subtilă, masculine plural subtili, feminine and neuter plural subtile)
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | subtil | subtilă | subtili | subtile | ||
definite | subtilul | subtila | subtilii | subtilele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | subtil | subtile | subtili | subtile | ||
definite | subtilului | subtilei | subtilelor | subtililor |
subtil (comparative subtilare, superlative subtilast)
Inflection of subtil | |||
---|---|---|---|
Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
Common singular | subtil | subtilare | subtilast |
Neuter singular | subtilt | subtilare | subtilast |
Plural | subtila | subtilare | subtilast |
Masculine plural3 | subtile | subtilare | subtilast |
Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
Masculine singular1 | subtile | subtilare | subtilaste |
All | subtila | subtilare | subtilaste |
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic |