亭主

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 亭主 (ていしゅ) is a person noun that denotes either a proprietor or one’s husband according to context.
• Basic usage: 宿の亭主 is the inn proprietor greeting guests at the entrance, whereas うちの亭主 is the speaker’s husband who cooks on days off.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The preceding phrase selects the sense
  • In 宿の亭主, 宿の establishes a business setting; in うちの亭主, うちの establishes a household relation. The latter should not be mechanically read as a business proprietor.