Gayle, or Gail, is an English- and Afrikaans-based gay argot or slang used primarily by English and Afrikaans-speaking homosexual men in urban communities of South Africa, and is similar in some respects to Polari in the United Kingdom, from which some lexical items have been borrowed. The equivalent language used by gay South African men who speak Bantu languages is called IsiNgqumo, and is based on a Nguni lexicon.[3][4][5]
Gayle | |
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Gail | |
Region | South Africa: mainly in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, and Port Elizabeth |
Native speakers | None[1] L2 speakers: 20,000 |
Language family | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | gic |
Glottolog | gail1235 |
Gayle originally manifested as moffietaal (Afrikaans: literally, "homosexual language") in the drag culture of the Cape Coloured community in the 1950s. It permeated into white homosexual circles in the 1960s and became part of mainstream white gay culture.[3][4][5]
Besides a few core words borrowed from Polari (such as the word varda meaning "to see", itself a borrowing from Lingua Franca), most of Gayle's words are alliterative formations using women's names, such as Beulah for "beauty", Priscilla, meaning "police", and Hilda for "hideous". Men, especially other homosexual men, are often referred to by female pronouns in some circles, as is the custom among many homosexual countercultures throughout the world.[3][4][5]
Gayle arose for the same reason that most antilanguages develop, to ensure in-group preference in diverse societies. However it also fulfilled other functions such as to "camp up" conversation, and provide entertainment in a subculture where verbal wit and repartee are highly valued.[3][4][5]
Gayle term | English translation |
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Abigail | abortion |
Aida or Aunty Aida | HIV / AIDS |
Baxter Theatre | mouth |
Bella | to bash, to hit, to beat up |
Betty Bangles or Jennifer Justice | hand-cuffs, the police |
Betty Boems | sex |
Belinia or Beulah | beautiful, gorgeous, handsome |
Brenda | to burn |
Carol | to cry |
cha cha palace | discotheque or club |
Cilla | cigarette |
Clorah | person of mixed race |
conch | vagina |
Dora | a drink or in a drunken state |
Doreen | drunk |
Dorette | small drink |
Ethel or Olga | elderly, old |
Feulah | furious |
Great Dane | large penis |
Griselda | grisly, ugly |
handbag (or bag) | guy, boyfriend, male companion, man |
Harriet or Wella (after the hair care brand) | hair, hairdo |
Hilda | hideous |
Jella | hurry up |
Jessica | jealous or insane |
KFC | sex |
Lettie | lesbian |
Linda | a lie, to lie |
lunch | penis, particularly when showing through trousers |
Mary | a square, straight-laced, nerdish (as in 'Virgin Mary') |
Mavis | very effeminate man |
Mitzi | small |
Moira | music |
Monica Lewinsky | mouth |
Nancy, or nanny | no |
Natalie | African person |
Nigel | to have sex (likely from Afrikaans naai or neuk) |
Nora | not nice, off, distasteful, naf |
Olive | attractive man |
Patsy | a dance to dance |
Pearl or Petunia | to urinate |
Petula Clark | passed out, unconscious |
Poppy or Aunty Poppie | poppers, amyl nitrate |
Priscilla | police |
Rita | rent boy |
Sally (Bob) | fellatio, oral sex |
Stella | to steal, stolen |
Tessa | to tease (your hair) |
Tilly | masturbate, give someone a 'hand job' |
varda | to look |
Vera or Veronica | to vomit |
Wendy | Caucasian person |
Varda that Beulah bag! translates to "Look at that beautiful man!"[5]: 23–24
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Category:LGBT in South Africa |