Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'manumit'

English Word: manumit

Key Russian Translations:

• освобождать [ɐsvɐˈboʐdətʲ] - [Formal, Legal context, Verb]
• эмансипировать [ɪmɐnˈsʲipʲɪrəvɐtʲ] - [Formal, Historical or Legal, Verb]

Frequency: Low (This term and its translations are rarely used in everyday conversation, primarily in historical, legal, or academic contexts.)

Difficulty: B2 (Upper Intermediate) for 'освобождать' and C1 (Advanced) for 'эмансипировать', as they involve understanding nuanced historical vocabulary and verb conjugations.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

освобождать: [ɐsvɐˈboʐdətʲ]

Note on освобождать: The stress falls on the third syllable; be mindful of the soft 'ж' sound, which can be challenging for English speakers. Variations may occur in dialects.

эмансипировать: [ɪmɐnˈsʲipʲɪrəvɐtʲ]

Note on эмансипировать: Pronounce the 'э' as a short 'e' sound; this word is a loanword and retains a more precise, borrowed pronunciation.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: To release or free someone from slavery or servitude (Verb)

Translation(s) & Context:

• освобождать - Used in formal or historical contexts to describe the act of liberating individuals from bondage, often in legal documents or narratives.
• эмансипировать - Applied in more specific legal or reform contexts, emphasizing emancipation as a broader social process.

Usage Examples:

• В XIX веке многие рабовладельцы начали освобождать своих рабов под давлением реформ.

  In the 19th century, many slave owners began to manumit their slaves under pressure from reforms.

• Правительственный декрет эмансипировал крестьян, положив конец крепостному праву.

  The government decree manumitted the peasants, putting an end to serfdom.

• Чтобы освободить раба, хозяин должен был официально оформить документы.

  To manumit a slave, the owner had to officially file the documents.

• В исторических текстах часто описывается, как эмансипированные люди строили новую жизнь.

  In historical texts, it's often described how manumitted people built new lives.

• Освобождать кого-то от рабства требовало не только юридических шагов, но и социальной поддержки.

  Manumitting someone from slavery required not only legal steps but also social support.

Secondary Meaning: To grant freedom or rights in a metaphorical sense (though less common)

Translation(s) & Context:

• освобождать - In metaphorical uses, such as freeing from oppression, but rarely directly for 'manumit'.

Usage Examples:

• Реформы Петра I освободили крестьян от некоторых феодальных обязательств.

  Peter I's reforms manumitted peasants from some feudal obligations.

• Эмансипировать женщин в России началось в начале XX века.

  Manumitting women in Russia began in the early 20th century.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs and follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. 'Освобождать' is an imperfective verb, while related forms like 'освободить' are perfective. 'Эмансипировать' is also imperfective and follows first conjugation rules.

Note: These verbs are regular but require attention to aspect (imperfective vs. perfective pairs like 'освобождать' and 'освободить').

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • освободить (more perfective, direct action)
  • эмансипировать (similar but with a focus on broader liberation)
  • освобождать - Fine for general use, but 'эмансипировать' is preferred in legal contexts for its precision.
• Antonyms:
  • порабощать (to enslave)
  • закрепостить (to bind or subjugate)

Related Phrases:

• Освободить от рабства - To manumit from slavery; used in historical discussions.
• Эмансипировать народ - To emancipate a people; refers to large-scale liberation efforts.
• Декрет об освобождении - Manumission decree; a formal document in legal contexts.

Usage Notes:

When translating 'manumit' to Russian, 'освобождать' is the most straightforward and commonly used equivalent in historical or legal texts, but 'эмансипировать' may be more appropriate for contexts involving social reform. Always consider the aspect: use imperfective for ongoing actions and perfective (e.g., 'освободить') for completed ones. This word is formal and archaic, so avoid in casual speech. English speakers should note that Russian verbs require agreement with subject gender and number.

• Choose 'эмансипировать' for modern or international contexts, as it's a loanword.
• In sentences, pair with prepositions like 'от' (from) for accuracy, e.g., 'освободить от рабства'.

Common Errors:

English learners often confuse the aspect, using 'освобождать' when a perfective form like 'освободить' is needed for a completed action. For example:

• Incorrect: Я освобождать раба вчера. (This implies an ongoing action, which is wrong for a past event.)
• Correct: Я освободил раба вчера. (Uses the perfective past tense.)
• Another error: Mispronouncing 'эмансипировать' by stressing the wrong syllable, leading to confusion with similar words.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture and history, terms like 'освобождать' are tied to events such as the emancipation of serfs in 1861 under Tsar Alexander II, which parallels manumission in Western contexts. This reflects Russia's own struggles with serfdom, highlighting themes of reform and social change rather than chattel slavery common in other regions.

Related Concepts:

• рабство (slavery)
• крепостное право (serfdom)
• эмансипация (emancipation)