by N. David Williams Williams-Nichols Collectn Department of Archiv & Special Collectns Universy of Louisville Use of the word "gay" a homosexual ntext may date to as long ago as Paris the late 16th century, when homosexuals were reportedly lled 'gai," but there are a uple of other trigug and perhaps more provable…
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GAY (ADJ.)
GAY Meang: "full of joy, merry; light-hearted, reee;" also "wanton, lewd, lasciv" (late 12c. as a surname,… See orig and meang of gay. * how did the word gay come to be *
The word “gay” seems to have s origs around the 12th century England, rived om the Old French word ‘gai’, which turn was probably rived om a Germanic word, though that isn’t pletely known.
THE ORIGS OF THE WORD ‘GAY’
Fast-forward to the 19th century and the word gay referred to a woman who was a prostute and a gay man was someone who slept wh a lot of women (ironilly enough), often prostut. In terms of the sexual meang of the word, a “gay man” no longer jt meant a man who had sex wh a lot of women, but now started to refer to men who had sex wh other men.
THE ORIG OF THE WORD ‘GAY’ S HOMOSEXUAL NTEXT
By 1955, the word gay now officially acquired the new add fn of meang homosexual mal. Gay men themselv seem to have been behd the drivg thst for this new fn as they felt (and many still do), that “homosexual” is much too clil, soundg like a disorr.
As such, was mon amongst the gay muny to refer to one another as “gay” s before this was a monly known fn (reportedly homosexual men were llg one another gay as early as the 1920s). Although women uld still be lled gay if they were prostut as that meang had not yet 100% disappeared.
Sce then, gay, meang homosexual male, has steadily driven out all the other fns that have floated about through time and of urse also has gradually begun supplementg the word ‘lbian’ as referrg to women who are homosexual. The Only Major League Baseball Player to Openly Adm He was Gay Durg His Career Also May Have “Invented” the High-Five.