Gay (word)
Gay in modern usage is a term used to describe men that form romantic relationships with other men. It may also refer to men that are attracted to other men, whether such feelings are acted upon or not. This article primarily focuses on the use of the word to refer to males, although the word is also sometimes used more inclusively to refer to the collective grouping of GLBT.
Etymology
The term 'gay' is only relatively recently applied in mainstream culture to refer to male homosexuals, although there are references that reveal usage of the word in this manner going back many decades.
History
The English word "gay" is a close relative of the Middle French and Provençal words gai and gaya, meaning, roughly, "joyful." Occitanian poets defined their poetic craft as lo gai saber, or the "joyful knowledge," and the philosopher Friedrch Nietzsche borrowed this phrase for his book, Das Fröliche Wissenschaft, often tranlated as "The Gay Science."