schwul

See also schwül

Dutch

Etymology

From German schwul.

Adjective

schwul (not comparable)

  1. (Limburg) homosexual

German

Etymology

From Low German schwul "sultry, hot and humid" (17th century), adopted into Standard German as schwül in the 18th century. The older form without umlaut appears in Berlin dialect in the 19th century in the current sense, building on the slang term warm (as in warmer Bruder) for "homosexual". The earliest attestation of this sense dates to 1847 (Paul Derks).

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʃvuːl/

Adjective

schwul

  1. (colloquial) homosexual/gay (of males)
  2. (pejorative, slang) having effeminate or flamboyant qualities; fruity, queer, swishy

Related terms

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Last modified on 8 October 2012, at 16:59