Jaunty and genteel are the same word — both from French gentil — but English borrowed it twice, producing one word for cheerful swagger and another for refined elegance.
Having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner; stylishly smart in appearance.
An alteration of earlier jentee or gentee, from French gentil (well-born, graceful, pretty), from Latin gentilis (of the same clan or family, of good birth), from gens (clan, race, family). The pronunciation shifted from genteel to jaunty through a process of anglicization. Key roots: gens (Latin: "clan, race, family").
Jaunty is actually the same word as genteel — both descend from French gentil (well-born, graceful). The spelling diverged because English borrowed the word twice: once in the medieval period (producing gentle and genteel) and again in the 17th century with altered pronunciation (producing jaunty). The shift from g- to j- reflects the actual French pronunciation of gentil, which starts with a /ʒ/ sound. So a "jaunty" walk