Red-light district
A
red-light district is a neighborhood where
prostitution is a common part of everyday life. The term was first recorded in the
United States and derives from the practice of placing a red light in the window to indicate to customers the nature of the business.
There are several explanations as to why red lights gained this particular meaning. According to one theory, it is based on the
Biblical story of
Rahab, a
prostitute in
Jericho who aided the spies of
Joshua and identified her house with a
scarlet rope.
|
A railway brakeman's signal lantern |
Others claim that it comes from the red lanterns carried by
railway workers, which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement.
[Barbara Mikkelson, "Red Light District", http://www.snopes.com/language/colors/redlight.htm, 12 March 1998]One of the many terms used for a red-light district in
Japanese is
akasen (赤線), literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term. In different cultures red-light districts are identified differently, the most common being "district of prostitutes" (i.e. in Hindi -
Randi Guli or Street of Prostitutes; in Bengali -
Khanki Para or Neighbourhood of Prostitutes.
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List of red-light districts
