What does GAY mean?

Gay, in addition to meaning "happiness", "pleasure" or "pleasure" in English, is also used to mean homosexuality. In terms of usage, except for the original meaning when quoting literary and artistic works created in the past, or excluding occasions such as joking and word games, its original meaning of "happy" is basically no longer used in daily life.

English origin

The word gay has had a sexual meaning at least since the 19th century (and possibly earlier). In the Victorian era of England, women and men Gangsters are called "gay" (because they dress so brightly). So in the end, "gay boys" became a term for all gay men. In the United States, the term may come from the hobo community: a young hobo, also known as a "gay cat" or "geycat", often befriends an older, more experienced hobo in order to learn from them. and chances of survival. There was a sexual connotation to this relationship, so "gay cat" came to mean "young homosexual." The most famous of these earliest "gays" was Thomas Collingwood, a chubby musician with a face like a cherub who fell into trouble in life after a long period of unemployment. .

A quotation from Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr & Mrs. Skeene (1922) may be the earliest traceable use of the word, although It's not entirely clear whether she meant lesbianism or pleasure by the word.

They are...gay, they learn very little about being gay,...they are completely gay.

They were ... gay, they learned little things that are things in being gay, ... they were quite regularly gay.

In Noel Coward )'s musical "Bitter Sweet" was the first uncontroversial use of the word. In the song "Green Carnation", four people dressed up like 1890s playboys sing:

Beautiful boy, smart boy, you may

right We sneer at our depravity,

O proud boy, naughty boy,

Dear, dear, dear!

Being fascinated by emotions...

We are the reason why the "90s"

are called gay,

We all wore green carnations.

Pretty boys, witty boys, You may sneer

At our disintegration.

Haughty boys, naughty boys,

Dear, dear , dear!

Swooning with affectation...

And as we are the reason

For the "Nineties" being gay,

We all wear a green carnation.

Cowell uses "gay nineties" as a pun. The song's title alludes to gay playwright Oscar Wilde, who famously wore a green carnation.

Gay is used in both narrow and broad senses. Gay in the narrow sense only refers to a man who tends to have sexual or emotional relationships with other men. Gay in a broad sense also refers to men and women who prefer to have sexual or emotional relationships with people of the same gender. (There is some debate about this, so some people use the terms "lesbians and gay men". See Homosexuality.) Whether bisexuality is included in these uses is also a matter of debate (see bisexual).

Some people claim that gay comes from the acronym of "Good As You", but this is a false etymology inferred from the word gay.

Another folk etymology theory is that it is related to Gay Street, which is located in the West Village of New York, and the West Village is connected to gay culture. According to documented records, the term appears to have existed as a code word in New York in the 1940s. "Are you gay?" This question may mean more than it may seem to an outsider.

According to the Safe Schools Coalition of Washington's "Professional Dictionary for School Staff":

Homosexual: Avoid the use of this term; it Too clinical, remote and ancient. Sometimes it is appropriate to refer to homosexual behavior (although same-sex is a better adjective). When referring to people, as opposed to referring to behaviors, homosexual is considered a derogation, and gay and lesbian are better terms, at least in the northwest United States.

Therefore, the word homosexual is also considered a "politically incorrect" word in the eyes of some people.

Usage in Chinese regions

Taiwan

In Taiwan, gay has generally become one of the terms used to refer to oneself within the gay community, and in the community This usage is also acceptable externally. However, gay never became a term used to refer to lesbians at the same time, or at least it was not widely accepted. The lesbian community would call themselves Lazi. Usually when talking about the word gay, Lazi is the corresponding term.

Currently in Taiwan, the English word gay does not have an accurate Chinese translation. Some people think that gay is a possible translation of gay, but gay is used in the context of Taiwan to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (see LGBT entry), or even sexual practices such as BDSM Dissenters, while gay only refers to gay men. Precisely because everyone cannot reach a consensus on the Chinese translation of gay, the English word gay is still widely used in Taiwan.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the Chinese translation of gay is gay. But this Chinese title is derogatory because it is often used in a derisive tone.

Mainland

Gay generally does not refer to lesbians in mainland usage, and the situation of lesbian names is similar to that in Taiwan. The original English text rarely appears in official articles, and is replaced by homosexual (person) or gay (person). Nowadays, the word "gay" often appears.

Differences in usage between English and Chinese

In English, gay can be used as a noun and an adjective:

When used as an adjective: "He is gay" (He is gay) The statement is very common, and the singular form of the noun "He is a gay" is rarely used.

When used as a noun: it usually appears in the plural form to describe groups, such as "gays and lesbians". However, it is much rarer to use singular or small number forms, such as "He is a gay" or "There are two gays (there are two gays)". This usage sometimes indicates the speaker's mildly derogatory or playful mood.

In Chinese, the singular form of the noun "he is gay" is very common in mainland China. But also said "he is gay".