subtil

English

Adjective

subtil (comparative more subtil, superlative most subtil)

1. Obsolete form of subtle.; sly, artful, cunning
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981:

     , Genesis 3:1

     Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

   • '1611, King James Version, Wisdom of Solomonn 7:22–23:

     For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, Kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits.

References

• subtil in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.

Anagrams

• builts, bultis

---

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /supˈtil/

Adjective

subtil (masculine and feminine plural subtils)

1. subtle

Derived terms

• subtilesa
• subtilment

---

Danish

Etymology

From Latin subtīlis (“fine, thin”), from sub + tēla (“a web”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /subtiːl/, [sub̥ˈtˢiːˀl]

Adjective

subtil

1. subtle

Inflection

Inflection of subtil
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	subtil	—	—2
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.

References

• “subtil” in Den Danske Ordbog

---

French

Etymology

Semi-learned term, modified from the inherited Old French sotil, soutil after the original etymology, Latin subtīlis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /syp.til/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

subtil (feminine singular subtile, masculine plural subtils, feminine plural subtiles)

1. subtle

Further reading

• “subtil” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

---

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin subtīlis.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Austria)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

subtil (comparative subtiler, superlative am subtilsten)

1. subtle

Declension

Positive forms of subtil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
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

Comparative forms of subtil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist subtiler	sie ist subtiler	es ist subtiler	sie sind subtiler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	subtilerer	subtilere	subtileres	subtilere
	genitive	subtileren	subtilerer	subtileren	subtilerer
	dative	subtilerem	subtilerer	subtilerem	subtileren
	accusative	subtileren	subtilere	subtileres	subtilere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der subtilere	die subtilere	das subtilere	die subtileren
	genitive	des subtileren	der subtileren	des subtileren	der subtileren
	dative	dem subtileren	der subtileren	dem subtileren	den subtileren
	accusative	den subtileren	die subtilere	das subtilere	die subtileren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein subtilerer	eine subtilere	ein subtileres	(keine) subtileren
	genitive	eines subtileren	einer subtileren	eines subtileren	(keiner) subtileren
	dative	einem subtileren	einer subtileren	einem subtileren	(keinen) subtileren
	accusative	einen subtileren	eine subtilere	ein subtileres	(keine) subtileren

Superlative forms of subtil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am subtilsten	sie ist am subtilsten	es ist am subtilsten	sie sind am subtilsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	subtilster	subtilste	subtilstes	subtilste
	genitive	subtilsten	subtilster	subtilsten	subtilster
	dative	subtilstem	subtilster	subtilstem	subtilsten
	accusative	subtilsten	subtilste	subtilstes	subtilste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der subtilste	die subtilste	das subtilste	die subtilsten
	genitive	des subtilsten	der subtilsten	des subtilsten	der subtilsten
	dative	dem subtilsten	der subtilsten	dem subtilsten	den subtilsten
	accusative	den subtilsten	die subtilste	das subtilste	die subtilsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein subtilster	eine subtilste	ein subtilstes	(keine) subtilsten
	genitive	eines subtilsten	einer subtilsten	eines subtilsten	(keiner) subtilsten
	dative	einem subtilsten	einer subtilsten	einem subtilsten	(keinen) subtilsten
	accusative	einen subtilsten	eine subtilste	ein subtilstes	(keine) subtilsten

Related terms

• Subtilität

Further reading

• subtil in Duden online

---

Middle English

Adjective

subtil

1. Alternative form of sotil

---

Portuguese

Adjective

subtil m, f (plural subtis, comparable) (European orthography)

1. Alternative form of sutil

---

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French subtil and Latin subtīlis. Doublet of subțire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /subˈtil/

Adjective

subtil m, n (feminine singular subtilă, masculine plural subtili, feminine and neuter plural subtile)

1. subtle

Declension

declension of subtil

		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	subtililor	subtilelor

Related terms

• subtilitate
• subtiliza
• subtilizare
• subtilizat

 

---

Swedish

Adjective

subtil (comparative subtilare, superlative subtilast)

1. subtle

Declension

Inflection of subtil
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	subtil	subtilare	subtilast
Neuter singular	subtilt	subtilare	subtilast
Plural	subtila	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.

Related terms

• subtilitet