ransoms: Definition and Much More from Answers.com
- ️Wed Jul 01 2015
n.
- The release of property or a person in return for payment of a demanded price.
- The price or payment demanded or paid for such release.
- A redemption from sin and its consequences.
tr.v., -somed, -som·ing, -soms.
- To obtain the release of by paying a certain price.
- To release after receiving such a payment.
- To deliver from sin and its consequences.
[Middle English ransome, from Old French rançon, from Latin redēmptiō, redēmptiōn-, a buying back. See redemption.]
ransomer ran'som·er n.
Ransom (from Old Fr.: ransoun) is the practice of releasing prisoners taken in battle in exchange for money. During pre-history and ancient times when conflict was conducted between individuals or relatively small groups, the taking of prisoners was rare. As conflict grew and developed into warfare, victory in a battle usually resulted in the slaughter of opponents. By the time that the Greeks and Romans achieved military ascendancy in the Mediterranean, battlefield captives were usually enslaved, although massacres still occurred. Although during the period of internecine Greek wars the ransoming of prisoners was not uncommon, it was during the Middle Ages that this practice became significant.
The age of knighthood and the importance of key family members to a noble dynasty provided the circumstances for the re-establishment of ransoming as a feature of European warfare. This process was applied only to knights; the ordinary foot soldier, archer, or pikeman could still expect death or slavery following capture. The ransom itself was demanded, owed, and collected by individuals involved in the defeat and capture of an enemy and bypassed the state entirely. This said, in 1194 England, in the shape of Prince John, paid 100, 000 marks for the release of Richard ‘the Lionheart’. Richard had been returning from the Crusades in the Holy Land when he was captured by the Duke of Austria and handed to the Emperor Henry VI. He was held in Germany between December 1192 and February 1194, and John levied taxes on revenue at a staggering 25 per cent. The sum paid, however, was only one-third of the king's ransom demanded. At a lower level, ransom was part of the profit motive interwoven into medieval war. Successful warriors like the Hainault knight Sir Walter Manny could make fortunes.
The practice of parole became another feature of ransom during this period. An individual would be released after giving his word that he would not take up arms again until after the ransom had been paid in full. This again was an option available only to the nobility whose oath could be trusted.
By the close of the Thirty Years War in 1648 prisoners had become custody of the state rather than their individual captors. Concurrent with this development was the custom of exchanging POWs once hostilities had ceased. Prisoners could also be exchanged during the war. This was carried out on a man-for-man basis between combatants of equivalent rank or on a scale where a lieutenant would be worth four privates for example. The last occasion that this was carried out was probably during the American civil war.
— Jon Robb-Webb
price of redemption demanded by the captor of a person, vessel, or city. In ancient times cities frequently paid ransom to prevent their plundering by captors. The custom of ransoming was formerly sanctioned by law. Soldiers, given the right to kill or enslave their prisoners, frequently preferred to free them after receiving payment. This mitigated bloodshed, for it was more profitable to hold enemies for ransom than to massacre them. One of the rights of a feudal lord was to call upon his tenants to ransom him if he were captured in battle. The amount of ransom varied with the rank of the captive; a king or a noted warrior brought a great sum. For the payment of the ransom of Richard I (Richard Cœur de Lion) a special tax was levied in England; the French sovereign paid heavy ransoms for Bertrand Du Guesclin; and Scotland was impoverished in paying for James I. Merchant vessels captured in privateering were sometimes ransomed by their owners. After receiving the ransom, the privateer sometimes furnished a ransom bill, which allowed safe conduct for the ship to one of her native ports. Today the term generally refers to the sum paid to a kidnapper for the release of an individual or to an airplane hijacker for the release of passengers, crew, and plane.
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved. Holding people for ransom has occurred throughout history. In 78 BC, pirates of modern-day Turkey captured Julius Caesar and held him on Pharmacusa until someone paid a fee for him. It also refers to demanding concessions from a person or organization by threatening damaging action.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, ransom became an important custom of chivalric warfare. An important knight, especially nobility or royalty, was worth a significant sum of money if captured, but nothing if he was killed. For this reason, the practice of ransom contributed to the development of heraldry, which allowed knights to advertise their identities, and by implication their ransom value, and made them less likely to be killed out of hand.
When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French rançon from Latin redemptio = "buying back": compare "redemption".
In Christianity, ransom is the shed blood of Jesus Christ, which made deliverance from sin and death possible for the offspring of Adam.
In the popular imagination, ransom notes (i.e. letters sent by the captors to those who they expect to pay up) are constructed from letters cut from newspapers to stop anyone from recognising the handwriting of the extortionist.
In typography, and later in computing lore, the ransom note effect occurs when a document uses too many fonts.
In school athletics, a school's mascot is sometimes kidnapped, and the ransom payment is usually a contest like a football game.
See also
- bail, a judicially determined sum of money deposited as security to ensure that a prisoner appears in court if released.
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - løsesum, løsepenge
v. tr. - kræve løsepenge for
idioms:
- hold for ransom (for a king's ransom) ikke for alt i verden
- hold to ransom holde en fanget og kræve løsepenge for vedk
Nederlands (Dutch)
losgeld, vrijlating tegen losgeld, vrijkopen, vrijlaten tegen losgeld, gevangen houden en geld eisen voor vrijlating
Français (French)
n. - rançon, otage
v. tr. - payer une rançon pour
idioms:
- hold for ransom (US, lit) garder (qn) en otage, (US, fig) tenir (qn) en otage
- hold to ransom (GB, lit) garder (qn) en otage, (GB, fig) tenir (qn) en otage
Deutsch (German)
n. - Lösegeld
v. - auslösen, freikaufen
idioms:
- hold for ransom als Geisel festhalten
- hold to ransom als Geisel festhalten
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λύτρα (εξαγοράς ή απελευθέρωσης ομήρου κ.λπ.)
v. - εξαγοράζω, ελευθερώνω έναντι λύτρων
idioms:
- hold for ransom κρατώ αιχμάλωτο μέχρι να πάρω λύτρα
- hold to ransom απαιτώ/ζητώ λύτρα, εκβιάζω κάποιον με απειλές
Italiano (Italian)
riscattare, riscatto
idioms:
- a king's ransom di grande valore
- hold (to/for) ransom sequestrare
Português (Portuguese)
n. - resgate (m), refém (m)
v. - resgatar, exigir resgate
idioms:
- hold (to/for) ransom forçar uma negociação
Русский (Russian)
платить выкуп, выкуп
idioms:
- a king's ransom баснословная сумма
- hold (to/for) ransom требовать выкуп
Español (Spanish)
n. - rescate, redención
v. tr. - rescatar, redimir, pedir o exigir rescate
idioms:
- hold for ransom pedir o exigir rescate, hacer chantaje, mantener prisionero a alguien para pedir rescate
- hold to ransom pedir o exigir rescate, hacer chantaje, mantener prisionero a alguien para pedir rescate, secuestrar para pedir rescate
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lösensumma, lösen
v. - kräva lösen, frige mot lösen, lösa ut
中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
赎金, 赎回, 赎身, 解救, 勒索赎金
idioms:
- hold for ransom 勒赎, 挟迫同意, 绑票
- hold to ransom 绑票, 勒赎, 挟迫同意
中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 贖金, 贖回, 贖身, 解救
v. tr. - 贖回, 勒索贖金
idioms:
- hold for ransom 勒贖, 挾迫同意, 綁票
- hold to ransom 綁票, 勒贖, 挾迫同意
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 몸값, 해방, 공갈
v. tr. - 배상하다, ~에서 몸값을 받다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 身代金, 釈放, 受け戻し, 賠償金, 贖罪
idioms:
- a king's ransom 王の身代金, 大金
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) فديه (فعل) يفتدي أسيرا, يحرر أسيرا
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - שחרור תמורת כופר, כופר
v. tr. - שחרר תמורת כופר
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