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Language change, two demonstrations
10 Jan 2019 02:30 am1. The adjective "gay" swings wildly from positive to negative to positive
(Original tweet: https://twitter.com/DenpaCodec/status/948397078861955072)
the robot from evangelion
@anildasharez0ne
1998: the teens are calling everything gay
2008: the teens aren't sure they should be really calling things gay
2018: the teens are calling everything gay again, but in a positive way this time
firecat notes that it seems to be working its way back to its 1200s-1300s meaning, "Bright or lively-looking, esp. in colour; brilliant, showy" and its 1400s-and-later meaning, "light-hearted, carefree; manifesting, characterized by, or disposed to joy and mirth; exuberantly cheerful, merry; sportive." (http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77207 — login required, unfortunately)
2. A certain expletive gains acceptability in new contexts.
( nsfw word herein )
(Original tweet: https://twitter.com/DenpaCodec/status/948397078861955072)
the robot from evangelion
@anildasharez0ne
1998: the teens are calling everything gay
2008: the teens aren't sure they should be really calling things gay
2018: the teens are calling everything gay again, but in a positive way this time
firecat notes that it seems to be working its way back to its 1200s-1300s meaning, "Bright or lively-looking, esp. in colour; brilliant, showy" and its 1400s-and-later meaning, "light-hearted, carefree; manifesting, characterized by, or disposed to joy and mirth; exuberantly cheerful, merry; sportive." (http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77207 — login required, unfortunately)
2. A certain expletive gains acceptability in new contexts.
( nsfw word herein )