(without having lived through the era) is that historically this term was used pretty normally to refer to 'women' in those times (see
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruntimmersföreningen_i_Helsin... with the caveat that this was in Finalnd), and is now used somewhat derogatorily... as in "women, you can't live with them and ...'
But I have also heard it used as an affectionate term of endearment as in 'min fruntimme sa..." Kind of a working class thing in my experience... Guys at the bus garage when chatting. You might get it (in the US at least) as 'my old lady' in the same situation.