Where did the word gay come from

The term was invented by the Hungarian writer Károly Mária Kertbeny, in a letter to the German sexologist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs in 1868.^[1] The terms homosexual and heterosexual came into use among scientists after Richard von Krafft-Ebing used then in his book Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), but were probably unknown to the general public until after the First World War.^[2]

Before the word "homosexual" came into use, the most common terms included "invert".

Of things, "sumptuous, showy, rich, ornate," mid-14c. As such, it was common amongst the gay community to refer to one another as “gay” decades before this was a commonly known definition (reportedly homosexual men were calling one another gay as early as the 1920s). It is coming into use in Germany and among the English-speaking upper classes of many cosmopolitan areas in other countries.

1," 1910]

Quoting a tramp named Frenchy, who might not have known the origin. At this time, homosexual women were referred to as lesbians, not gay. Gay is not a bad word. The meaning had expanded by c. Cary Grant, in one scene, ended up having to wear a lady’s feathery robe. 1400 to "manly, gallant," also "ingeniously or cleverly made," to "fine, pleasing to the aesthetic sense," to "beautiful in a slight way" (mid-15c.).

In "Sociology and Social Research" (1932-33) a paragraph on the "gay cat" phenomenon notes, "Homosexual practices are more common than rare in this group," and gey cat "homosexual boy" is attested in Noel Erskine's 1933 dictionary of "Underworld & Prison Slang" (gey is a Scottish variant of gay).

The "Dictionary of American Slang" reports that gay (adj.) was used by homosexuals, among themselves, in this sense at least since 1920.

That's why we call them 'Gay Cats'." [Leon Ray Livingston ("America's Most Celebrated Tramp"), "Life and Adventures of A-no.

For sense evolution, compare nice, silly, neat (adj.), fair (adj.).

Pretty applies to that which has symmetry and delicacy, a diminutive beauty, without the higher qualities of gracefulness, dignity, feeling, purpose, etc. There was also another word “gey cat” at this time which meant a homosexual boy.

By 1955, the word gay now officially acquired the new added definition of meaning homosexual males.

See, Kid, cats sneak about and scratch immediately after chumming with you and then get gay (fresh). In the 1890s, in Britain, especially with reference to a London theater of that name, and the kind of musical shows and dancing girls it presented.