breadwinner 復習
近年、つとに増加しているといわれる「主夫」に関する記事です。
The modern man / Men proud to be full-time homemakers
On a weekday morning in July, Takatoshi Miyauchi and two other men were chatting at a Tokyo restaurant.
“My wife doesn’t wash the dishes, but for some reason she does clean the sink,” one of them said, while another complained: “My wife just throws her clothes into the washing machine inside out. I got fed up with reversing them, so I just fold them that way.”
The three men are homemakers and members of Lennonpapa, a network for stay-at-home dads raising children. The network’s members organize get-togethers like this to let off steam once every two months.
Miyauchi, 37, has two daughters in primary school — one in the second grade and the other in the third grade. He became a full-time homemaker seven years ago when the birth of his second daughter made child-rearing duties harder.
At the time he was frequently sick and his wife’s annual income was about \2 million higher than his, so he decided to let her be the family breadwinner. His wife agreed because she was worried about his health and urged him not to overexert himself.
（以下省略）
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003124525
今回取り上げる単語は、breadwinnerです。 “bread and butter”という表現を思い出しました。
Oxford Dictionary of English (Second Edition Reserved, Oxford University Press)によると、 “a person who earns money to support their family, typically the sole one”と載っておりました。
また『ジーニアス英和辞典』（第五版，大修館）で調べたところ、「一家のかせぎ手」とのことでした。
語源についても気になったためインターネットで調べたところ、 “The word breadwinner is actually a slang term that dates back to the early 1800s, when the English equated bread to money. Thus a breadwinner was someone who "supplies a living for others, especially a family.” The word “win” was added which originates from the same Latin root word as “lord.” In many cultures, this person has traditionally been the male head of the household.”と書かれているサイトを見つけました。日本と同じように、主食はお金と同じ価値があったのだなと思いました。
（http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-breadwinner.htm）
過去にも同じ表現が取り上げられておりますので、そちらもご覧ください。(Gomez)
