LL-L "Etymology" 2007.10.07 (05) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  07 October 2007 - Volume 05
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From: Gary Davenport <gldavenport at student.ysu.edu>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2007.10.07 (02) [E]

The New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Edition, says: gigolo |ˌdʒɪgəˈloʊ|
noun ( pl. *-los*) chiefly derogatory
• a young man paid or financially supported by an older woman to be her
escort or lover.
• a professional male dancing partner or escort.
ORIGIN 1920s(in the sense [dancing partner] ): from French, formed as the
masculine of* gigole 'dance hall woman,' *from colloquial* gigue 'leg.'*

Gary

On Oct 7, 2007, at 14:05, Lowlands-L List wrote:
From: "Ben J. Bloomgren" <ben.j.bloomgren at gmail.com>

Subject: [LLL] etymology
 I was talking with some friends tonight, and they mentioned a movie from
some years back called "Duce Bigalo, Male Gigolo". I hear that gigolo means
a male prostitute. Is that true and what the heck is the etymology of that
word? Since my mind spells things out phonemically, it's hard not to say
"ghee-go-low_ where ghee is a voiced velar stop.
Ben
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