"Gay" in 1713

[Joel S. Berson]

Thanks for the context, Larry.  And I suppose in 1713 "the most
abhorrent" crimes were also considered "unacceptable lifestyle choices".

Joel

At 7/8/2010 11:42 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>At 10:55 AM -0400 7/8/10, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>>This is presumably a looong stretch, but ---
> From The Tatler and Guardian, 1713 April 3 (no. 20), page 32, col. 2
>>{GB full view]:
>>
>>All gallantry and fashion, one would imagine, should rise out of the
>>religion and laws of that nation wherein they prevail; but alas! in
>>this kingdom, gay characters, and those which lead in the pleasure
>>and fascinations of the fashionable world, are such as are readiest
>>to practise crimes the most abhorrent to nature, and contradictory to
>>our faith.
>>
>>At that time, "crimes the most abhorrent to nature" were sexual acts
>>which could not lead to conception, thus including sodomy,
>>bestiality, and masturbation (as well as intercourse with a girl too
>>young to conceive, defined in some laws as age 10).
>
>There's a long history of "gay", through the 19th c., being used to
>describe dissipation or prostitutes ("gay girl/woman") and their
>life.  Or more broadly, as in Farmer & Henley (1890-1904):
>
>GAY
>(colloquial)
>1.  dissipated; specifically, given to venery
>
>cites back to Chaucer "Some gay girl...Hath brought you thus upon the
>very trot"
>
>1754 Adventurer, No. 124  The old gentleman, whose character I cannot
>better express than in the fashionable phrase which has been
>contrived to palliate false principles and dissolute manners, had
>been a gay man, and was well acquainted with the town.
>
>[also GAYING INSTRUMENT = 'the penis']
>
>No direct antecedent of 'homosexual' meaning, except sub specie of
>"unacceptable lifestyle choices"...
>
>LH
>
>>Is this some kind of antecedent to "gay" = 'homosexual"?  (In the
>>above, "characters" means "persons".)  On the other hand, the OED
>>cautions me:
>>
>>"A number of quotations have been suggested as early attestations of
>>this sense (see a sample below). It is likely that, although there
>>may be innuendo in some cases, these have been interpreted
>>anachronistically in the light either of the context (for example the
>>disguise as a homosexual of the protagonist of quot. 1941[1]), or of
>>knowledge about an author's sexuality."
>>
>>Joel
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org