19th century euphemisms for homosexuality, esp. French

[10littlebullets]

I have a story set in early 19th century (c. 1830) Paris and a lot of gay boys running about, and it would be nice to know a few euphemisms or slang terms they might have used for homosexuality.  In French is preferable, though English could work as well.

Comments

Yay thread hijacking!

[kahteh]

For what it's worth, I'm in need of some 18th-century euphemisms... (but English ones would be more useful than French.)

[sterling_sara]

The term molly may still have been around, I don't know exactly when it faded out. In any case, it was derived from French so would work. Sodomite is also a classic. Guys in the underculture did use that to refer to themselves sometimes, as there were fewer terms then.

In Frech, le pede (with an accent mark on the second e, I don't know how to type that) was/is used a lot- the term means pederast, but doesn't distinguish between a lover of men and a lover of boys as far as I know.

[sterling_sara]

'Queen' was around too in both English and French. (So was 'drag' for that matter, but I don't know if that's useful to you. XD)

[chicleeblair]

would that be reine in french or still queen?

[sterling_sara]

Reine. Sorry about confusion.

[majolika]

[10littlebullets]

Thanks--doubly so because running "cinaède" through Google is turning up plenty of results I wouldn't have otherwise found. :)

[nebulia]

I have one: Les Amis. XD

No, I don't know any, but I sense Miz!fic...

[nebulia]

On second thought, 'sod' was a term derived from sodomite that was used as a derogatory term, but also could be gay--though it is a very english/british term. Another possibility is fairy--it was used among lower classes in England, but it may have moved over to France, I'm not sure.

Both just shots in the dark, esp. if it is Miz!fic...they may not apply. Sorry.

[10littlebullets]

.....>_> For all you know I could be writing La Bohème slash. Or Count of Monte Cristo! Dumas doesn't have enough fandom love.

(She says, using her Enjolras/Grantaire icon and thus giving herself away.)

french terms

[thallos]

A lot are less euphemisms than well first insults but ^^;;

16th century = "sodomite" (who does sodomy), "vaudois" (who do things against church laws), "hérite" (short for heretics), "ganymède" (mythologic term), "bougre" (slang, synonym of "sodomite"), "mignon" (who tries to be too cute to be a man => first used for the minions of King Henri III of France who were blamed for taking too much care of their clothes, by analogy : young effeminate boy, especially courtesan), "bardache" (slang, young effeminate boy), "pédéraste" (greek origin => who loves young boys).

Before French Revolution (18th century) = "infâme" (who does vile things), "non-conformiste" (who doesn't conform to the norm), "antiphysique" (who does things against Natur Laws), "giton" (slang, young effeminate boy, often used for prostitute or courtesan), "puériseur" (who does children).

Of course, some of these terms were still used in the 19th century like "mignon" or "pédéraste" or "giton" or "sodomite".

19th century = "troisième sexe" (third sex), "tante" (slang