|
|
etymology of gay (homosexual)
My friend told me that he doesn't like to label himself as a "gay" because according to him, it's an acronym for "good as you." This, he says, intrinsically assumes the presence of an opposing notion, following an outdated paradigm.
What do you guys think?
<<This, he says, intrinsically assumes the presence of an opposing notion, following an outdated paradigm.
>> Unfortunately, I wish this euphemism were so. What's unfortunate is that it isn't.
Absolutely false: those acronym etymologies are almost always nonsense. Here's a very good etymological site: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=gay&searchmode=none .
I thought the word "gay," which originally means "happy" comes from a french word "gai" which means "happy" as well.
<,I thought the word "gay," which originally means "happy" comes from a french word "gai" which means "happy" as well. >>
Don't stop there French 'gai' comes from Frankish *'gahi', cf. OHG 'wahi' ("pretty") or OHG 'gahi' ("fast, sudden")
Dotted about here and there across the UK (mainly England, it has to be said) are pubs which for the most part have been called The Gay Dog. They have existed for several centuries in the the towns and villages, or even in more remote locations on main roads in the countryside........ordinary pubs srving the purpose of all pubs. They probably derived their names from the expression "a gay dog" - simply meaning a dashing, swashbuckling type hero of a guy, full of bravado and amorous intent. In itself a perfectly innocent expression, but since the word "gay" now is used almost exclusively to refer to homosexuality, the word is now vitually never used in its former sense.
But for the most part the pubs are still called the Gay Dog. The Midlands area of England seem to be well favoured for such named pubs, and there is a Gay Dog Inn in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford upon Avon. Similary, central Birmingham has a very large and very lively Gay Dog pub. Another one near Stratford: http://www.pubsulike.co.uk/pubs/online/index.asp?pubcode=CV378SQTGDI With the present day meaning of "gay" a few grumpy old fossils railed against their local pub being called The Gay Dog, and this was the case in the small Worcestershire village of Great Baughton (again, in the Midlands) when these guys successfully petitioned to have the name of the pub changed after about 250 years, and it is now simply called The Dog! The fact that the village is made up mostly of retired people (probably ex colonels and their like) it comes as no real surprise. I have yet to know of a Gay Dog pub in Scotland, but I'll keep on looking.......we have gay pubs galore, certainly, but none bearing the name in question AFAIK.
Curious, but in Russian the homsexuals are also called words relating to colour. Thus male homosexuals are called "blue ones" and female homosexuals are called "pink ones".
|