The qualitative research ventured on revealing the reasons of using gay lingo in the academic community and analyzing its unique linguistic features. In identifying the linguistic features of gay lingo, the researcher analyzed the data taken from the informants from their simulation and list of gay words. These data were treated using morpho-semantic analysis: the Morphological Analysis revealed patterns of structural formations in gay words; the Semantic Analysis revealed the semantic processes on the meanings of gay words.The study employed the phenomenological design conducted in 3 College institutions in Tagum City. The participants of the study were the college students particularly the homosexuals. The investigation involved 28 gay participants, whose backgrounds were based on the school they attend to.The results of the study revealed ideas that concretized the reason of using gay lingo in the informants’ respective schools. The following themes emerged during the interview: Learning Gay Lingo from Friends, Sex Talks, Making Gossips, Sexual Identity, and Sense of Security. On the analyses of linguistic features of gay lingo, it revealed the following: the Morphological Analysis revealed patterns of formation in gay words. These patterns of gay lingo are as follows; clipping with affixation, variety formation, straight words derivation, popular words derivation, gay word affixation, foreign sounding, and gay word expressions. In the Semantic Analysis, it revealed the semantic processes on the meanings of gay words. These processes in there semantic formation are as follows; corporal derivation, mutual comprehension, and variety synonymy.
Keywords: Applied Linguistics, Homosexuality, Philippines, gay lingo, specialized language
