remittance woman
- noun
- /rɪˈmɪtəns ˈwʊmən/
- Offensive
:
mantenida
- The story revolves around a remittance woman who navigates her life in a foreign country while receiving regular financial support from relatives back home.
Examples
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The novel tells the story of a remittance woman surviving on funds from her disapproving family in England.
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In colonial Australia, a remittance woman might find herself isolated from both her homeland and local society.
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Rumors circulated about the quiet remittance woman who rarely spoke of her past.
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She is a remittance woman living in Canada.
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Many remittance women rely on their families for support.
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In colonial Australia, a remittance woman often struggled to find her place in a society that viewed her as an outsider due to her family's disapproval.
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Many remittance women have experienced feelings of loneliness as they adapt to life in a new country, relying on funds sent by their families.
Synonyms
A person living abroad who receives regular money from their family back home
A man who lives abroad, getting regular money from his family and often sent away by them
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'remittance' (money sent) and 'woman' (adult female) allow a learner to infer a basic meaning — a woman connected with remitted money, likely a recipient. However, the specific sociocultural sense (living abroad, supported because her presence is undesirable) and the exact direction/implication of support are not fully predictable from the parts, making the phrase partially but not wholly transparent.
Etymology
Remittance woman comes from an old custom where a family sent a regular payment, a remittance, to a woman living away because they would not accept her at home. That's why the phrase means 'a woman who is supported by regular payments from her family and lives away from home'.
