The English language can be a very complex and difficult language to understand, as many words have several different meanings. Words evolve with time as people evolve, as one meaning can become three, or can disappear altogether. The word gay is an excellent example of this. In the last century or so, the word gay has evolved quite a bit. It now has a very negative connotation to many who use it, in a harsh contrast to its original positive connotation and happy implications. Like every word, it can mean a different thing to each person who hears it, but I think the word gay especially is the type of word that had definitions that vary so drastically from person to person. In my research, I found over ten different factual definitions for …show more content…
The word was just a synonym for carefree and that simply derived from the meaning of the word that was in part not complying to societal norms. Gay just meant that you lived an uninhibited life, doing what you wanted for the most part. It’s antonym straight implied respectability, seriousness and a more conventional lifestyle. It is commonly theorized that the modern use of gay comes from a clipping of gaycat, a slang term among hobos, meaning a boy or young man who accompanies an older, more experienced tramp, with the implication of sexual favors being exchanged for protection and instruction. From this, eventually over time the word came to be synonymous to homosexual, and this usage really picked up in the sixties. Today this is still the most common usage of the word. Rarely anyone uses the word to mean happy or carefree anymore. Besides, even if people did use it in that way, not many people would get that message. The usage of the word was higher in early 1800’s, and steadily declined until the 1960’s, when usage of the word skyrocketed, and the usage continues to increase to this