English word origin

Etymology of ungay

From un- (“non-, not”) + gay.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

Not gay; not cheerful or merry. · Not homosexual. · Not gay (all senses)

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From un- (“non-, not”) + gay.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "pre",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "gay",
        "t1": "non-, not",
        "id1": "negative"
      },
      "expansion": "un- (“non-, not”) + gay"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#English:_negative"
    ],
    [
      "gay",
      "gay#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Not gay; not cheerful or merry.",
        "Not homosexual.",
        "Not gay (all senses)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "d49569c3da2e99ec1c9a92b4c6bbc0e5331ca2dd366b5a5344209dabe2c76e92",
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To make not gay or less gay.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From un- (“de-, dis-”) + gay.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "pre",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "gay",
        "t1": "de-, dis-",
        "id1": "reversive"
      },
      "expansion": "un- (“de-, dis-”) + gay"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#English:_reversive"
    ],
    [
      "gay",
      "gay#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make not gay or less gay."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "6754e6d927f83f2d319f91d853c73aa8618e8f389440fd7b547f4baf14773949",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ungay →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dW5nYXk