Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!bellcore!allegra!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!cbosgd!clyde!watmath!csc From: csc@watmath.UUCP (Computer Sci Club) Newsgroups: net.singles,net.social Subject: Re: new disabbreviation for SO Message-ID: <11597@watmath.UUCP> Date: Thu, 21-Feb-85 23:54:40 EST Article-I.D.: watmath.11597 Posted: Thu Feb 21 23:54:40 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 24-Feb-85 03:06:19 EST References: <1613@ittvax.UUCP> <90@unc.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 33 Xref: linus net.singles:4924 net.social:452 [] >The word "lover" accurately implies that the relationship is romantic, >without necessarily implying that the relationship has been sexually >consummated. This statement is simply not true. In common usage the word lover is often used to specifically imply that the relationship is a sexual one. SO was introduced because of the need for a word that described a broad range of relationships including those described by "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" but without explicitly mentioning gender (gender in this sense has been promoted from jocular to colloquial in the OCD 7th ed.). English lacks such a word, an interesting comment on the societies in which English developed. The endless quibbles pointing out that other people in one's life can be significant (or indeed special for that matter) are silly. The term "boyfriend" does not mean "a friend who is a boy", the term "Significant Other" does not mean "another person who is significant". Both terms have a much more specialized meaning. Like most English words the terms are difficult to define exactly (the meaning is inferred from common usage, and can change with time) and their meaning is dependent on context. The following is from the Oxford Concise Dictionary, 11th edition. Es'soe, -sow (eso) n. (colloq.) 1. One's current romantic partner; e.g. boyfriend, girlfriend, POSSELCUE, spouse (often but no exclusively implying sexual partner) [f. Significant Other; hence SO] William Hughes