Definition
The condition, state, or relationship of being a bondman; the status or quality of servitude or unfreedom.
Etymology
From 'bondman' plus the suffix -ship (denoting condition or relationship), a Germanic formation. The word appears in medieval and early modern texts describing feudal social hierarchies.
Kelly Says
Bondmanship was technically heritable—children born to bondmen were automatically bondmen themselves, creating multi-generational traps of servitude baked into law, making escape virtually impossible for entire family lineages.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ወንድምነት
wen-dim-net
CACatalà
germanor
ger-ma-nor
CSČeština
bratrství
bra-tr-st-vi
DADansk
brorskab
bro-rs-kab
DEDeutsch
Brüderschaft
broo-ders-haft
ELΕλληνικά
αδελφότητα
a-del-fo-ti-ta
ESEspañol
hermandad
er-man-dad
FISuomi
veljesyys
ve-le-jes-yys
FRFrançais
fraternité
fra-ter-ni-te
HIहिन्दी
बन्धुता
bandhutā
HUMagyar
testvériség
test-ve-ri-seg
IDBahasa Indonesia
persaudaraan
per-sa-u-da-ra-an
ITItaliano
fratellanza
fra-tel-lan-za
KMKM
ប្រជាប្រិយ
bra-cha-pri-y
MSBahasa Melayu
persaudaraan
per-sa-u-da-ra-an
MYမြန်မာ
အမျိုးသား
a-myo-tha-nar
NLNederlands
broederschap
broe-ders-chap
NONorsk
brorskap
bro-rs-kap
PLPolski
bratostwo
bra-to-st-wo
PTPortuguês
fraternidade
fra-ter-ni-dade
RUРусский
братство
brat-stvo
SVSvenska
brödraskap
brod-ras-kap
SWKiswahili
ukari
u-ka-ri
TEతెలుగు
బంధుత్వం
ban-dhu-tva-m
TRTürkçe
kardeşlik
kar-deş-lik
UKУкраїнська
братство
brat-stvo
VITiếng Việt
tình anh em
tinh anh em
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Compounds '-man' + '-ship'; obscures women's bondage by making male bondage the default reference point, and treats bondage as an identity rather than oppression.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'bondage' or 'servitude' directly; avoids gendered abstraction and resists euphemism for coerced labor.
Inclusive Alternatives
["bondage","servitude","forced labor"]