The Gay Hussar: The Origins and Spread of Buserant in the Danube Region. (3rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Helmrich, Fabian
• Is Part Of: Central Europe. Volume 16:Number 2(2018:Nov.)
• Page Start: 105
• Page End: 111
• Publication Date: 2018-07-03
• Subjects: Linguistic areas -- Danube region -- etymology -- lexical borrowing -- queer -- Sprachbund; Politics and culture -- Europe, Eastern -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- History -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Languages -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Civilization -- Periodicals; 943.0005
• DOI: 10.1080/14790963.2019.1637581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1479-0963

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This papers examines how the word Buserant 'gay' spread in the languages of the Danube region. Further, it hypothesises in what contact situations borrowing occurred. In this, it presents a case study illustrating lexical borrowing in the proposed Danubian Sprachbund . According to the study's findings Italian road workers introduced Buserant in Viennese German from where it spread through army service and/or travellers in taverns of Austria Hungary. The borrowing appears to be restricted to the languages of Austria-Hungary and excludes Yiddish, which can be explained by the relative isolation of Yiddish-speaking communities by the mid-nineteenth century.