Where does “gayface” come from?
gayface (English) comes from English Gay, from English Queen, from Middle English quene, from Old English cwene, from Old English cwēn, from Proto-West Germanic kwāni, from Proto-Germanic kwēniz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn — woman.
gayface (English): An obvious, apparent, or stereotypical appearance...
Definitions
- An obvious, apparent, or stereotypical appearance...
Ancestry of “gayface”, step by step
gayface traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Gay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Gay | originally a nickname for a cheerful or lively person |
| 2 | English | Queen | A title used before the personal name of a queen |
| 3 | Middle English | quene | A queen; Any powerful woman noble; A female... |
| 4 | Old English | cwene | a woman; inflection of cwēn: ##... |
| 5 | Old English | cwēn | queen; woman, wife, queen |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | kwāni | woman, wife |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | kwēniz | wife |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |