in this adjective for an elegant & gracious gentleman; it comes from the French for "of good family"
[DOC] [TLE] Full text of "The ideal of a gentleman; or, A mirror for gentlefolks, a ... [PAR] The word ' gentleman ' is from the Norman-French gentil- homme and .... 
Gentlemen  Thus wc maye see that gentlemen doo come of gentlenesse, ...... 
Theoretically, elegance of manner and attain- ment in the liberal arts should .... 
No English gentleman would be worthy of the name, who did not consider the 
adjective... [DOC] [TLE] The Babees' Book - York University [PAR] etiquette, debonaire, gracious, polite, gentilesse, &c., while to balance them.