Gay meaning in english

Origin and history of gay

gay(adj.)

late 14c., "full of noun, merry; light-hearted, carefree;" also "wanton, lewd, lascivious" (late 12c. as a surname, Philippus de Gay), from Old French gai "joyful, happy; pleasant, agreeably charming; forward, pert; light-colored" (12c.; compare Aged Spanish gayo, Portuguese gaio, Italian gajo, probably French loan-words). The ultimate origin is disputed; perhaps from Frankish *gahi (related to Old High German wahi "pretty"), though not all etymologists consent this.

The meaning "stately and beautiful; splendid and showily dressed" is from early 14c. Of things, "sumptuous, showy, rich, ornate," midc. of colors, etc., "shining, glittering, gleaming, bright, vivid," late 14c.; of persons, "dressed up, decked out in finery," also tardy 14c. In the English of Yorkshire and Scotland formerly it could mean "moderately, rather, considerable" (; compare the sense development in pretty (adj.)).

The word gay by the s h

by Jordan Redman
Staff Writer

Do you know what the word gay really means?

The word gay dates back to the 12th century and comes from the Elderly French “gai,” meaning “full of joy or mirth.” It may also relate to the Aged High German “gahi,” meaning impulsive.

For centuries, gay was used commonly in speech and literature to mean happy, carefree, bright and showy, and did not hold on any sexual meaning until the s.

At that time the meaning of gay as carefree evolved to imply that a person was unrestrained by morals and prone to decadence and promiscuity. A prostitute might include been described as a “gay woman” and a womanizer as a “gay man.”

“Gay house” was commonly used to refer to a brothel and, later, “gaiety” was used as a frequent name for certain places of entertainment.

In the s, the term “gey cat” (a Scottish variant of gay) was used to describe a vagrant who offered sexual services to women or a young traveler who was new to the road and in the company of an older man.

This latter use suggests that the younger man was in a sexually submissive role and may be among the fir

What Does "Gay" Mean?

There is not one right answer

Many educators are unsure how to respond when a student asks you what does gay represent. It is better to endeavor to answer than to respond with silence or evade the question.

Practice different responses with colleagues, just as you practice other things that you want to learn. Figure out what you feel comfortable saying.

Responses will vary by age and developmental stage of the student. Your comfort in answering these questions will set a welcoming tone in your class and school community.

Keep it simple

An answer can be as simple as: “‘Gay’ means two people of the adj gender who love each other – two women or two men.” Try to answer the question honestly without overloading a student with information. Throughout elementary school a student’s ability to understand what “gay” means and what your explanation means may increase with development.

Focus on affection and relationships

A discussion with elementary-age students about the meanings of “gay” or “lesbian” is a discussion about love and relationships. You can

gayadjective, adverb, & noun

There are 31 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word gay, nine of which are labelled obsolete, and one of which is considered offensive. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

About 20occurrences per million words in modern written English

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Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the pos gay is in the Middle English period (—).

OED's earliest evidence for gay is from around , in Ancrene Riwle.

gay is a borrowing from French.

Etymons:Frenchgai.

Nearby entries

gawlin, n–
gawn, n–
gawne, v
gawney, n–
gawp, n–
gawp, v–
gawper, n–
gawpus, n–
gawpy, n–
gawsy, adj–
gay, adj., adv., & n.?c–
gay, v–
gayal, n–
gayatri, n–