From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxm!houxa!houxi!houxz!ihnp4!iheds!otto
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Title: An alternative to posslq
Article-I.D.: iheds.210
Posted: Sat Feb 19 10:21:31 1983
Received: Sun Feb 20 06:27:08 1983
Reply-To: otto@iheds.UUCP (George V.E. Otto)


Some years ago there was an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing
the problem of finding a general word to mean "the person I am living with,"
but one that didn't already suffer from negative connotations.  The author
concluded that what was needed was a new word.  I don't recall if he mentioned
"posslq," but if so, he rejected it for some reason.

The word he proposed was "menagist" (meh-nah-'zhist), from the french word
"menage" meaning household.  Thus a menagist is "someone who shares my
household."  It may superficially say the same thing as "shackee," but it is
free of that word's connotations.  Not only is it
 a new word, but is it one
most people are somewhat familiar with from the phrase "menage-a-trois."

This word is even more general than posslq, because it is not restricted to
hetero-sexual relationships.  The author concluded by saying that he thought
this was a good new word, but he wondered whether anyone would use it.

Any comments?

George Otto
Bell Labs, Indian Hill
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