1178, "full of joy or mirth," from O.Fr. gai "gay, merry," perhaps from Frank. *gahi (cf. O.H.G. wahi "pretty"). Meaning "brilliant, showy" is from c.1300. OED gives 1951 as earliest date for slang meaning "homosexual" (adj.), but this is certainly too late; gey cat "homosexual boy" is attested in N. Erskine's 1933 dictionary of "Underworld & Prison Slang;" the term gey cat (gey is a Scot. variant of gay) was used as far back as 1893 in Amer.Eng. for "young hobo," one who is new on the road and usually in the company of an older tramp, with catamite connotations. But Josiah Flynt ["Tramping With Tramps," 1905] defines gay cat as, "An amateur tramp who works when his begging courage fails him." Gey cats also were said to be tramps who offered sexual services to women. The "Dictionary of American Slang" reports that gay (adj.) was used by homosexuals, among themselves, in this sense since at least 1920. Rawson ["Wicked Words"] notes a male prostitute using gay in reference to male homosexuals (but also to female prostitutes) in London's notorious Cleveland Street Scandal of 1889. Ayto ["20th Century Words"] calls attention to the ambiguous use of the word in the 1868 song "The Gay Young Clerk in the Dry Goods Store," by U.S. female impersonator Will S. Hays. The word gay in the 1890s had an overall tinge of promiscuity -- a gay house was a brothel. The suggestion of immorality in the word can be traced back to 1637. Gay as a noun meaning "a (usually male) homosexual" is attested from 1971.

happy or making people happy
Example: The children were gay and cheerful; gay music

Arabic: مَرِح، جَذِل Chinese (Simplified): 快乐的 Chinese (Traditional): 快樂的 Czech: jásavý Danish: glad; munter Dutch: vrolijk Finnish: iloinen French: gai German: fröhlich Greek: χαρούμενος, εύθυμος Hungarian: vidám Icelandic: kátur, glaðvær Indonesian: gembira Italian: gaio, allegro Japanese: 陽気な	Korean: 즐거운 Latvian: priecīgs; jautrs Lithuanian: linksmas Norwegian: munter, glad, livslysten Polish: radosny Portuguese (Brazil): alegre Portuguese (Portugal): alegre Romanian: vesel Russian: весёлый Slovak: veselý Slovenian: vesel Spanish: alegre Swedish: glad, lustig, munter Turkish: sevinçli, mutlu

bright
Example: gay colours

Arabic: زاهٍ Chinese (Simplified): 鲜艳的 Chinese (Traditional): 鮮艷的 Czech: pestrý, zářivý Danish: farvestrålende Dutch: helder Finnish: heleä French: gai German: bunt Greek: λαμπερός Hungarian: élénk Icelandic: litskrúðugur Indonesian: cemerlang Italian: vivace Japanese: 派手な	Korean: 화려한 Latvian: spilgts; košs Lithuanian: linksmas, ryškus Norwegian: fargesprakende, munter Polish: wesoły Portuguese (Brazil): alegre Portuguese (Portugal): brilhante Romanian: strident Russian: яркий Slovak: žiarivý Slovenian: vesel Spanish: alegre, vivo, vistoso Swedish: ljus, bjärt, grann Turkish: parlak, renkli

homosexual
Example: gay liberation; gay rights

Arabic: لواطي Chinese (Simplified): 同性恋的 Chinese (Traditional): 同性戀的 Czech: homosexuální Danish: homoseksuel Estonian: homoseksuaalne, gei- French: homosexuel, *-elle Greek: ομοφυλοφιλικός Hungarian: homoszexuális, "meleg" Icelandic: samkynhneigður Indonesian: homoseks	Italian: gay, omosessuale Latvian: homoseksuāls, geju- Lithuanian: homoseksualistų, homoseksualus Norwegian: homofil Polish: homoseksualny, dla homoseksualistów Russian: гомосексуальный Slovak: homosexuálny, teplý Slovenian: gejevski, homoseksualen Spanish: gay, homosexual Swedish: homosexuell, gay Turkish: eşcinsel, homoseksüel

homosexual

Arabic: لواطي، أحادي الجنس Chinese (Simplified): 同性恋 Chinese (Traditional): 同性戀 Czech: homosexuál Danish: bøsse; lesbisk kvinde Estonian: homoseksuaal, gei French: homosexuel, *-elle Greek: ομοφυλόφιλος Hungarian: homoszexuális Indonesian: homoseks Italian: gay, omosessuale	Latvian: homoseksuālists, gejs Lithuanian: homoseksualistas Norwegian: homo, homse Polish: pederasta, homoseksualista Russian: гомосексуалист Slovak: homosexuál Slovenian: homoseksualec Spanish: homosexual Swedish: bög, lesbian Turkish: eşcinsel kimse