etimologia de 'gai'

[post en construcció]

Alcover-Moll:

1. GAI, GAIA adj.
Alegre, festiu; que dóna o expressa joia, alegria; cast. alegre, gayo. Nós veem que los aucells són pus gays e pus ysnells en lo temps del pascor, Llull Cont. 109, 23. Pel temps qui és gay e plasents, Am. f. conf. 506. Ella 's cuydà | tot temps duràs | lo gay solàs | e pa de noces, Spill 1160. Una cana de drap vert gay [=verd clar, alegre], doc. a. 1410 (Alós Inv. 27). Evitar de dir... gay per dir garrid o gentil o polit, Fenollar Regles 77. Sens altra conversa que'l gai murmuri dels xaragalls, Massó Croq. 7. Gai Saber o Gaia Ciència: la poesia, segons el llenguatge trobadoresc i dels jocs florals.
Fon.: gáј (Barc., Val.); ɟáј (Palma).
Etim.: del gòtic gâhi, mat. sign., segurament per intermedi del provençal gay.

Oxford English Dictionary:

• adjective (gayer, gayest) 1 (especially of a man) homosexual. 2 relating to homosexuals. 3 dated light-hearted and carefree. 4 dated brightly coloured; showy.

• noun a homosexual person, especially a man.

— DERIVATIVES gayness noun.

— USAGE Gay is now a standard term for ‘homosexual’, and is the term preferred by homosexual men to describe themselves. As a result, it is now very difficult to use gay in its earlier meanings ‘carefree’ or ‘bright and showy’ without arousing a sense of double entendre. Gay in its modern sense typically refers to men, lesbian being the standard term for homosexual women.

— ORIGIN Old French gai.