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| '''I NEED A BOY FREIND GIMME ONE PLEASE I NEED a DI## NOW PLEASE''' | |||
| {{pp-move-indef|small=yes}} | |||
| {{Other uses}} | |||
| {{Close Relationships}} | |||
| A '''girlfriend''' is term for a female partner one is strongly/deeply and closely romantically or sexually involved with. It can also refer to a best female friend.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Girlfriend|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/girlfriend|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| This term is often used loosely, and there is some debate over what exactly constitutes a girlfriend.{{cn|date=September 2012}} | |||
| ==Scope== | |||
| Partners in committed non-marital relationships are also sometimes described as a '']'' or simply ''partner'', especially if the individuals are cohabiting.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thesaurus.com|title=Significant other|url=http://thesaurus.com/browse/significant+other?s=t|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Partners in committed non-marital relationships are also sometimes described as a significant other or simply partner, especially if the individuals are cohabiting. | |||
| ''Girlfriend'' and ''partner'' mean different things to different people; the distinctions between the terms are subjective. How the term is used will ultimately be determined by personal preference.<ref>{{cite web|last=StackExchange|title=English Language & Usage|url=http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/47852/word-for-partner-you-are-living-with-but-not-married-to|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sam|title=Why I say 'partner" instead of boyfriend or girlfriend|url=http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2011/12/why-i-sa-the-term-partner-instead-of-boyfriendgirlfriend-and-when/|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| Girlfriend and partner mean different things to different people; the distinctions between the terms are subjective. How the term is used will ultimately be determined by personal preference. | |||
| A 2005 study of 115 people ages 21 to 35 who were either living with or had lived with a romantic partner notes that the lack of proper terms often leads to awkward situations, such as someone upset over not being introduced in social situations to avoid the question.. |
A 2005 study of 115 people ages 21 to 35 who were either living with or had lived with a romantic partner notes that the lack of proper terms often leads to awkward situations, such as someone upset over not being introduced in social situations to avoid the question.. | ||
| In a strictly grammatical sense, a "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" is an individual with whom one shares a romantic relationship. A "girl friend" or "boy friend", however, is simply a friend identified on the basis of sex. This is sometimes also contravened by simply stating "ladyfriend" or "guyfriend". The terms "friend girl" (and "friend boy") are also sometimes used to indicate a platonic friendship. The transition between the two is a significant aspect of adolescent development. | |||
| Both forms of "girlfriend" and "girl friend" are used by different people to mean different things. For example, when the term "girlfriend" is used by a girl or woman about another female in a non-sexual, non-romantic context, the two-word form "girl friend" is sometimes used to avoid confusion with the sexual or romantic meaning; however, this is not a rule. In this sense of its usage, "girlfriend" is used in terms of very close friends and has no sexual connotations, unless it is in the case of lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual women. The term "girlfriend" is also used in LGBT communities and can refer to people of any sex or sexuality. | |||
| In a strictly grammatical sense, a "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" is an individual with whom one shares a romantic relationship. A "girl friend" or "boy friend", however, is simply a friend identified on the basis of sex. This is sometimes also contravened by simply stating "ladyfriend" or "guyfriend". The terms "friend girl" (and "friend boy") are also sometimes used to indicate a platonic friendship. The transition between the two is a significant aspect of adolescent development.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Girl friend, boy friend, girlfriend, boyfriend: Broadening our understanding of heterosocial competence |first=R. L. |last=Grover |first2=D. W. |last2=Nangle |first3=A. |last3=Serwik |first4=K. R. |last4=Zeff |journal=Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology |year=2007 |volume=36 |issue=4 |pmid=18088208 |pages=491–502 |doi=10.1080/15374410701651637 }}</ref> | |||
| The term "girlfriend" does not necessarily imply a sexual relationship, but is often used to refer to a girl or woman who is dating a person she is not engaged to without indicating whether she is having sex with him or her. With differing expectations of sexual mores, the term dating can imply romantic activity whereas simply using "friend" would likely avoid implying such intimacy. It is essentially equivalent to the term "sweetheart", which has also been used as a term of endearment. | |||
| Both forms of "girlfriend" and "girl friend" are used by different people to mean different things. For example, when the term "girlfriend" is used by a girl or woman about another female in a non-], non-] context, the two-word form "girl friend" is sometimes used to avoid confusion with the sexual or romantic meaning; however, this is not a rule. In this sense of its usage, "girlfriend" is used in terms of very close ] and has no sexual connotations, unless it is in the case of ], ], or ] women. The term "girlfriend" is also used in ] communities and can refer to people of any sex or sexuality.<ref name="Traps: African American">{{cite web | |||
| | last = Byrd | |||
| | first =Rudolph P. | |||
| | authorlink = | |||
| | coauthors = Beverly Guy-Sheftall | |||
| | title=Traps: African American Men on Sex and Sexuality | |||
| | publisher=Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-21448-3 | |||
| | date=2001 | |||
| | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=fd6KF15a_m4C&dq=snap+girlfriend&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0 | |||
| | accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref><ref name="Talk Talk Talk">{{cite web | |||
| | last = Salamensky | |||
| | first =Shelley I. | |||
| | authorlink = | |||
| | coauthors = Beverly Guy-Sheftall | |||
| | title=Talk Talk Talk: The Cultural Life of Everyday Conversation | |||
| | publisher=Routledge, ISBN 0-415-92170-8 | |||
| | date=2001 | |||
| | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=z0IfJLxdUXAC&dq=%22use+of+girlfriend%22&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0 | |||
| | accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref> | |||
| The term "girlfriend" does not necessarily imply a sexual relationship, but is often used to refer to a girl or woman who is ] a person she is not engaged to without indicating whether she is having sex with him or her. With differing expectations of sexual ], the term ''dating'' can imply romantic activity whereas simply using "friend" would likely avoid implying such intimacy. It is essentially equivalent to the term "sweetheart", which has also been used as a ].<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Sweetheart|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sweetheart|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ==Word history== | |||
| The word girlfriend was first used in 1863 as "a woman's female friend in youth.” In 1922, the word girlfriend was used to mean a man’s sweetheart.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harper|first=Douglas|title=Girlfriend|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=girlfriend|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ''Dating'' entered the American language during the Roaring Twenties. Prior to that, courtship was a matter of family and community interest. Starting around the time of the Civil War, courtship became a private matter for couples.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hirsch|first=Elaine|title=The History of Dating and Communication|url=http://www.communicationstudies.com/the-history-of-dating-and-communication|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ==Related terms== | |||
| *A female engaged in an ] relationship with a married man is frequently considered a "]".<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Mistress|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mistress|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> The word mistress was originally used as a neutral counterpart for the word mister or master.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Mistress|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mistress|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| *The word ''madam'' is still a respectful form of address, but has had sexual connotations since the early 1700s and has been used to refer to the owner of a brothel since the early 1900s.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Mistress|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mistress|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| *Some ] directed to females, a romantic relationship not required, are "darling", "sweetheart", "love", "babe", "babycakes" etc.<ref>{{cite web|last=Simpson|first=J.A.|title=Terms of Endearment|url=http://www.yaelf.com/toe.shtml|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| *Users of ] and ] slang often shorten ''girlfriend'' to the initialism ''gf''.<ref>, ''AcronymFinder.com''. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.</ref> | |||
| *Additionally, gender-indiscriminate terms also apply (e.g., lover, heartthrob, paramour, squeeze, sweetheart, true love, wooer, date, escort, steady, admirer, or companion).<ref>{{cite web|last=Tickle Thy Thoughts|title=Long List of Various Terms of Endearment|url=http://ticklethythoughts.blogspot.com/2011/08/long-list-of-various-terms-of.html|accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ==Distinction from "lady friend"== | |||
| A similar, but not equivalent, concept is the more ambiguous "lady friend" – a companion of the female gender who is possibly less than a girlfriend but potentially more than a friend. That is to say, the relationship is not necessarily platonic, nor is it necessarily an exclusive, serious, committed, or long-term relationship. The term avoids the overt sexual implications that come with referring to a woman as someone's "mistress" or "lover". In that sense, it can often be a euphemism. The term can also sometimes be employed when someone simply does not know the exact status of a woman that a man has been associating with. For instance, tabloid headlines often note that a celebrity has been seen with a new "lady friend".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2007/11/06/2007-11-06_sir_paul_mccartney_photographed_with_mar.html | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Sir Paul McCartney photographed with married Hamptons lady friend | first=Tracy | last=Connor | date=2007-11-06}}</ref><ref>http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=lady%20friend</ref> "Lady friend" may also be used to signify a romantic relationship with an older woman, when the term "girl" as in "girlfriend" may be deemed age-inappropriate. | |||
| The '']'' style guide discourages the use of the term "girlfriend" for an adult romantic partner, stating, "Companion is a suitable term for an unmarried partner of the same or the opposite sex." | |||
| <ref name="wolfowitzarticle"> | |||
| {{Cite web | |||
| | | |||
| title=What to call Paul Wolfowitz's special lady friend | |||
| | | |||
| publisher=Slate | |||
| | | |||
| date=April 20, 2007 | |||
| | | |||
| url=http://www.slate.com/id/2164651/ | |||
| | | |||
| author=Ben Yagoda | |||
| }} | |||
| </ref> The ''Times'' received some criticism<ref name="wolfowitzarticle"/> for referring to ] as the "girlfriend" of ] president ] in one article about the controversy over their relationship. Other news articles in the ''Times'' had generally referred to her as Wolfowitz's "companion". | |||
| {{clear}} | |||
| == See also == | |||
| {{Wiktionary|girlfriend}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ==Bibliography== | |||
| * David R. Andrews (1998); John Benjamins Publishing Company, ISBN 90-272-1835-8. | |||
| * By Janet Holmes, Miriam Meyerhoff (2003); Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 0-631-22502-1. | |||
| * Mary L. Gray (1999); Haworth Press, ISBN 0-7890-0076-8. | |||
| * Geoff Barnbrook (2002); John Benjamins Publishing Company, ISBN 1-58811-298-5. | |||
| * R. W. Holder (2002); Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860402-5. | |||
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Revision as of 01:49, 22 September 2012
I NEED A BOY FREIND GIMME ONE PLEASE I NEED a DI## NOW PLEASE
Partners in committed non-marital relationships are also sometimes described as a significant other or simply partner, especially if the individuals are cohabiting. Girlfriend and partner mean different things to different people; the distinctions between the terms are subjective. How the term is used will ultimately be determined by personal preference. A 2005 study of 115 people ages 21 to 35 who were either living with or had lived with a romantic partner notes that the lack of proper terms often leads to awkward situations, such as someone upset over not being introduced in social situations to avoid the question.. In a strictly grammatical sense, a "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" is an individual with whom one shares a romantic relationship. A "girl friend" or "boy friend", however, is simply a friend identified on the basis of sex. This is sometimes also contravened by simply stating "ladyfriend" or "guyfriend". The terms "friend girl" (and "friend boy") are also sometimes used to indicate a platonic friendship. The transition between the two is a significant aspect of adolescent development. Both forms of "girlfriend" and "girl friend" are used by different people to mean different things. For example, when the term "girlfriend" is used by a girl or woman about another female in a non-sexual, non-romantic context, the two-word form "girl friend" is sometimes used to avoid confusion with the sexual or romantic meaning; however, this is not a rule. In this sense of its usage, "girlfriend" is used in terms of very close friends and has no sexual connotations, unless it is in the case of lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual women. The term "girlfriend" is also used in LGBT communities and can refer to people of any sex or sexuality. The term "girlfriend" does not necessarily imply a sexual relationship, but is often used to refer to a girl or woman who is dating a person she is not engaged to without indicating whether she is having sex with him or her. With differing expectations of sexual mores, the term dating can imply romantic activity whereas simply using "friend" would likely avoid implying such intimacy. It is essentially equivalent to the term "sweetheart", which has also been used as a term of endearment.