Gay in english
by Jordan Redman
Staff Writer
Do you know what the word homosexual really means?
The word gay dates back to the 12th century and comes from the Mature 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 accept 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 hold 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 familiar name for certain places of entertainment.
In the s, the phrase “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 homosexual mean. It is better to strive to answer than to respond with silence or evade the question.
Practice other responses with colleagues, just as you practice other things that you yearn 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 arrange a welcoming tone in your class and school community.
Keep it simple
An respond can be as simple as: “‘Gay’ means two people of the alike gender who treasure each other – two women or two men.” Experiment to answer the question honestly without overloading a trainee 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 romance and relationships
A discussion with elementary-age students about the meanings of “gay” or “lesbian” is a discussion about devote and relationships. You can
How ‘gay’ got its rainbow: What once meant merry is now a badge of identity for homosexuals
On Thursday, as the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality, reading down the controversial British-era section of the penal code, Mumbai-based Arnab Nandy took to social media to express his bliss, as many across the country and the society were doing. “I am so Gay today…” he wrote in a coming-out post that has since gone viral. But while Nandy’s choice of synonyms was bang on that day, how did a word that had originally meant light-hearted, carefree or cheerful, become associated with a community whose animation has been often been anything but?
The Oxford English dictionary traces the history of the word ‘gay’ to the French synonyms Gai. Merriam Webster takes it further back to a Germanic origin “akin to the Old Elevated German Gahi” that meant “quick or sudden”. According to both dictionaries, in English the use of ‘gay’ to mean gleeful, excited, merry, carefree or bright started in the Middle English period that stretches between the 12th and the 16th century.
All For An Identity
While some boo
Today I found out how &#;gay&#; came to indicate &#;homosexual&#;.
The word &#;gay&#; seems to have its origins around the 12th century in England, derived from the Old French pos &#;gai&#;, which in shift was probably derived from a Germanic word, though that isn&#;t completely known. The word&#;s original essence meant something to the effect of &#;joyful&#;, &#;carefree&#;, &#;full of mirth&#;, or &#;bright and showy&#;.
However, around the early parts of the 17th century, the word began to be associated with immorality. By the mid 17th century, according to an Oxford dictionary definition at the time, the meaning of the word had changed to mean &#;addicted to pleasures and dissipations. Often euphemistically: Of loose and immoral life&#;. This is an extension of one of the original meanings of &#;carefree&#;, meaning more or less uninhibited.
Fast-forward to the 19th century and the word gay referred to a woman who was a prostitute and a gay man was someone who slept with a lot of women (ironically enough), often prostitutes. Also at this moment, the phrase &#;gay it&#; mea