Subtil

Subtil is an archaic or dialect spelling of the English word subtle. In modern usage, the form is infrequent outside historical texts, scholarly editions, or discussions of older language. In French, subtil serves as the standard adjective meaning subtle, refined, or intricate, and is still common in contemporary usage.

Etymology and meaning. The word derives from Latin subtilis, via Old French subtil. Subtilis in Latin carried senses of finely woven, delicate, or fine, and those nuances were carried into English and French as subtle or subtil, respectively. Over time, English standardized the spelling to subtle, while subtil remained as a historical variant.

Usage and considerations. In English, subtil appears primarily in medieval or early modern writings and is typically encountered only in quotations or in studies of linguistic history. Modern editors generally modernize such texts to subtle. In French, subtil is productive as an adjective, with related forms such as subtilité (subtlety) and subtiliser (to steal, in a figurative sense in some phrases). The word’s presence in English is thus mainly of scholarly or antiquarian interest.

Taxonomic and other notes. The Latin origin persists in scientific names through longer forms, such as subtilis in Bacillus subtilis, where the epithet conveys the sense of fineness or delicacy. However, subtil itself is not used as a current scientific term in place of subtle; it appears only as a linguistic root within longer Latin phrases or names.

See also. Subtle; Subtilité.