• Original language: English
  • Original form and meaning: gay, adj./noun, 'homosexual'


(Note: If the status is not specifically indicated then the word is stylistically neutral and generally used; if earlier meaning and status equals current use the former may be expressed by writing "dito". Cf. also the project guidelines.)


Language Form Date of Borrowing (and Obsolescence) Current Meaning and Status Earlier Meanings and Statusses Source
Catalan ... ... '...' '...' ...
Croatian gay [=English pronunciation], noun end20c meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted use: modish dito DEA*
Czech ... ... '...' '...' ...
Danish ... ... '...' '...' ...
Dutch gay [ge:j], adj. 1980s meaning:'homosexual'; status: restricted to slang, modish dito DEA*
English gay 12c 1.) 'homosexual', 2.) 'carefree and merry', 3.) 'brightly coloured' [1] Collins English Dictionary (4th edition)
Estonian ... ... '...' '...' ...
Finnish ... ... '...' '...' ...
French gay [gε], adj. 1960s meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted use: modish dito DEA*
Frisian ... ... '...' '...' ...
German gay [gei, ge:], adj. ? meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted use: modish, less frequent than schwul dito DEA*
Hungarian ... ... '...' '...' ...
Irish ... ... '...' '...' ...
Italian gay [gεi], noun 1970s meaning: 'homosexual'; status: fully accepted but still marked as English, equally frequent as omosessuale dito DEA*
Latvian ... ... '...' '...' ...
Lithuanian ... ... '...' '...' ...
Maltese ... ... '...' '...' ...
Norwegian gay [= Engl. pron] 1970s meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to colloquial and modish use, less frequent than homo, homofil dito DEA*
Polish gej/gay, noun end20c meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to colloquial use dito DEA*
Portuguese ... ... '...' '...' ...
Rumantsch ... ... '...' '...' ...
Slovak ... ... '...' '...' ...
Slovenian ... ... '...' '...' ...
Spanish gay/gai [gei/gai], noun 1970s meaning: 'homosexual'; status: fully accepted but still marked as English, less frequent than homosexual dito DEA*
Swedish ... ... '...' '...' ...
  • Annotations: *DEA = Dictionary of European Anglicisms by Manfred Görlach (2001), Oxford: OUP.
  • Information on Other Languages: Icelandic: gay [= Engl. pron.], adj.; end20c; meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to slang, less frequent than hýr. Romanian: gay/ghei [= Engl. pron.], noun; 1990s; meaning: 'homosexual'; status: rare, less frequent than homosexual. Russian: geĭ, noun; end20c; meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to colloquial use. Bulgarian: geĭ,noun; 1990s; meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to journalese, modish, less frequent than khomoseksualist, pederast, pedi. Greek: gei/gay, adj.; meaning: 'homosexual'; status: restricted to colloquial and modish use, journalese.,