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…
Contents:
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.