Mansuetude

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈman.swɪ.tjuːd/

Definitions

1. The quality of being gentle and tame can imply a state of peacefulness and docility in both animals and behavior
2. A disposition characterized by mildness and a lack of aggression reflects a gentle nature in various contexts
3. The trait of being calm and placid conveys the absence of harshness or severity in demeanor or action

Etymology: Mansuetude is built from two Latin roots that sound nothing like gentleness on their own: "manus", meaning "hand", and "suescere", meaning "to become accustomed". Together they formed "mansuescere", "to tame", which described a wild creature growing used to human hands. Its past participle "mansuetus" gave Latin the noun "mansuetudo", and the English word came either through Old French "mansuetude" or directly from that Latin noun. The sense is therefore literal at root: a tamed animal is one that has learned to accept handling. Over time the idea moved from the creature to the character, so that the quality of being tame came to describe people as well as animals, and a person of calm, unresisting disposition could be described in the same breath as a domesticated beast. The word's gentleness is thus a matter of accustomed contact rather than softness of nature.

Synonyms: gentleness, meekness

Antonyms: ferocity