Timeline for What is the history of “partner” being used to refer to boyfriend–girlfriend relationships?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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| Mar 14, 2015 at 2:52 | answer | added | Hot Licks | timeline score: 1 | |
| Mar 14, 2015 at 2:36 | comment | added | Hot Licks | The term "marriage partner" has been around since about 1900, while "domestic partner" only gained traction around 1960: books.google.com/ngrams/… So, "partner" existed in this sense long before "political correctness" or, for that matter, "out" gays. (Though, interestingly, "domestic partner" was used a bit in reference to heterosexual couples in the 1860 timeframe.) | |
| Mar 14, 2015 at 0:16 | comment | added | Nick2253 | @tchrist I'm not sure how much time you've spent around those subcultures, but political correctness is a huge part of those cultures. Freedom of self expression and avoidance of offense or injustice towards the disenfranchised are hallmarks of especially the hipster culture, especially with regards to relationship issues. | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 21:31 | comment | added | tchrist♦ | @AndrewLeach The notion that “counter-cultures” and “hippie cultures” and “hipster cultures” would give a fickle flying fig about political correctness is similarly baffling. | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 21:21 | history | edited | tchrist♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Mar 13, 2015 at 21:14 | comment | added | ermanen | Maybe because of partner in crime. | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 21:04 | history | edited | tchrist♦ |
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| Mar 13, 2015 at 20:51 | comment | added | Nick2253 | @AndrewLeach Obviously when directly introducing them. But for example, I'm talking with a coworker, and they ask me "Are you doing anything this weekend?" I could respond with, "I'm going skiing with my partner." and not have to reveal anything about my sexual orientation, whereas boyfriend/girlfriend would. | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 20:50 | comment | added | Andrew Leach♦ | Your "politically correct" hypothesis cannot be right. "By using "partner", a homosexual person would not have to reveal their homosexuality when describing their significant other" ... "Hi, I'm Mike. This is Paul, my partner" kind of says it all; there's really not much left to the imagination! | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 20:49 | comment | added | Nick2253 | @Josh61 Those are all facts that I know. My question is "why?". Why are people now commonly using the term partner to describe these relationships? Why not one of the gazillion other relationship terms? And also, what's the history that drove "partner" up while other terms remained less used? | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 20:47 | comment | added | user66974 | Partner as 'significant other': Significant other (abbreviated SO) is colloquially used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation. Synonyms with similar properties include sweetheart, better half, spouse, domestic partner, lover, soulmate, or life partner. In the United States the term is sometimes used in invitations, such as to weddings and office parties. This use of the term has become common in the UK in correspondence from hospitals. (Wikipedia) | |
| Mar 13, 2015 at 20:37 | history | asked | Nick2253 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |