The word gay?

Question

what do you think came first, the meaning of gay as happy? or the meaning of gay as a same sex loving eachother? and how do you think this came about?

Answer 1

I think that gay as happy came first.

Then, the guy with the awesome wardrobe, adorable feminine accent and great hair thought to himself, I like men. Men make me happy, what's another word for happy? GAY! I'm GAY!!!

LOL...I'm just surmising that this is how that happened. A global phenomenon followed shortly after that.

Answer 2

Gay meaning happy was the original meaning.

In recent years, however, the traditional sense of gay has been driven out of the language by the newer sense meaning homosexual. Many believe this new sense of gay to be quite recent, when in fact it dates at least to the 1920s and perhaps even earlier. This early existence is as a slang and self-identifying code word among homosexuals, only entering the mainstream of English in the late 1960s.

The modern use of gay may come from a clipping of "gaycat", a slang term among hobos and itinerants meaning a boy or young man who accompanies an older, more experienced tramp, with the implication of sexual favors being exchanged for protection and instruction. The term was often used disparagingly and dates to at least 1893, when it appears in the November issue of Century magazine.

The second possible explanation is that the homosexual sense is an outgrowth of an earlier sense of gay meaning addicted to pleasure, self-indulgent, or immoral. This sense dates to at least 1637, when it appears in James Shirley's play The Lady of Pleasure.

This link has more information.

Answer 3

According to dictionary.com:

In addition to its original and continuing senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy,” gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel. This sexual world included homosexuals too, and gay as an adjective meaning “homosexual” goes back at least to the early 1900s. After World War II, as social attitudes toward sexuality began to change, gay was applied openly by homosexuals to themselves, first as an adjective and later as a noun. Today, the noun often designates only a male homosexual: gays and lesbians. The word has ceased to be slang and is not used disparagingly. Homosexual as a noun is sometimes used only in reference to a male.

Answer 4

From dictionary.com:

"In addition to its original and continuing senses of “merry, lively” and “bright or showy,” gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel. This sexual world included homosexuals too, and gay as an adjective meaning “homosexual” goes back at least to the early 1900s. After World War II, as social attitudes toward sexuality began to change, gay was applied openly by homosexuals to themselves, first as an adjective and later as a noun. Today, the noun often designates only a male homosexual: gays and lesbians. The word has ceased to be slang and is not used disparagingly. Homosexual as a noun is sometimes used only in reference to a male."

Answer 5

I know for a fact that gay meaning happy came first because older writtings have the term gay in it and they're not talking about it in a sexual way.

I think it came about because if you notice cliche gay men are always busy and smiling and talking non-stop. Traditional straight men aren't 'happy' like that unless they're younger. They might smile but they don't run around and talk happily.

Answer 6

I think gay as in happy came first.

Answer 7

Gay meaning "happy" came first. Then homosexuals decided their "feelings" made them feel happy, but they decided to "call" those feelings "gay." So, being a straight person, if I feel gay, I now have to call those feelings, "happy," or I'll have a bunch of "gay" people knocking on my door, which would not make me very "happy!" ......or gay! hahahahaha!

Answer 8

Gay meant happy originally, I don't how the meaning changed.

Answer 9

Gay meaning happy was definately first... even before the word "happy"...

Answer 10

gay as in happy..because if you watch old movies from the 30's they say gay often..plus the Flintstones song " we'll have a gay ole time"..its just this generation and the generation before us has adapted a different meaning for it