Ha, great entry! I suspect that "life partner" arose from political correctness; it may have started to refer to same-sex couples, and then was taken up by anyone who wanted to give off an air of romantic enlightenment. (My sister lives in Seattle, one of the most "socially progressive" (read: hippie) areas of the US. When she first moved there, she was confused by the number of couples referring to themselves as partners, because here in the midwest, "partner" is taken to mean same-sex.)
Unfortunately I have no alternative phrases to offer.
I sometimes use "lifemate" to refer to my wife (it's even in my LJ bio). Sometimes "wife" just seems so quaint, and too reminiscent of the traditional, subservient roles of women in marriage.
I don't know if I've ever used "life partner" before--that always seems to be in the domain of same-sex unions. And you know what? I don't begrudge them the use of that term. If society is going to deny them the right to legitimately claim more traditional titles, then they can make up their own.
Hmm, "lifemate" evokes memories of two people sailing away in a rubber dinghy, far from any trace of dry land - life boat situations usually ensue! Heheh! Just my initial thought....
And yes, gay people should have the right to define relationships on their own terms, same as straight couples - I just wish both groups would choose better terms to make the "sacred institution" of marriage look like the redundant antiquity that it is....
I like 'lover', though I think it places too much emphasis on the sexual component of the relationship, subordinating all else. Nevertheless, it gains points for being stripped of the haziness, ambiguity and sheer adolescence of the term 'girlfriend' which I often find used platonically.
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Unfortunately I have no alternative phrases to offer.
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I don't know if I've ever used "life partner" before--that always seems to be in the domain of same-sex unions. And you know what? I don't begrudge them the use of that term. If society is going to deny them the right to legitimately claim more traditional titles, then they can make up their own.
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And yes, gay people should have the right to define relationships on their own terms, same as straight couples - I just wish both groups would choose better terms to make the "sacred institution" of marriage look like the redundant antiquity that it is....
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