Etymograph

English

gaybait

Gaybait comes from English bait ‘something that allures’, from Middle English bayte ‘Bait or lure’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘to split’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeyd-‘to split’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydt‘to split’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bītaną‘to bite’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baitijaną‘to make bite’reconstructed
  5. Old Norsec. 800–1350beita‘to graze’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bayte‘Bait or lure’
  7. English1500–presentbait‘something that allures’
  8. Englishtodaygaybait

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeyd-‘to split’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydt‘to split’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bītaną‘to bite’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baitijaną‘to make bite’reconstructed
  5. Old Norsec. 800–1350beita‘to graze’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bayte‘Bait or lure’
  7. English1500–presentbait‘something that allures’
  8. Englishtodaygaybait

A compound of gay + bait ‘something that allures’

Old French gai ‘joyful, merry’

Middle English gay ‘joyous’

English gay

Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘to cleave, split, separate’

…

Proto-Germanic *bītaną ‘to bite’

Proto-Germanic *baitijaną ‘to make bite’

Old Norse beita ‘food, bait’

Middle English bayte ‘Bait or lure’

English bait

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘to split’

boat, fiber, bitter, fibre, fission, fissure, feta, fissile, fettuccine, 24 more

through Proto-Germanic *bītaną ‘to bite’

bite, 6 more

through Proto-Germanic *baitijaną ‘to make bite’

bet, abet, 5 more

through Middle English bayte ‘Bait or lure’

clickbait, 5 more

Another origin of gaybait

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeyd-‘to split’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydt‘to split’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bītaną‘to bite’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baitijaną‘to make bite’reconstructed
  5. Old Norsec. 800–1350beita‘to graze’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bayte‘Bait or lure’
  7. Englishtodaygaybait

Today it means

noun A man who is attractive to other gay men.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- / gaybait

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