# All Slavic: ransom, to ransom



## bardistador

I'm looking for the meaning of 3 usages of ransom and one phrase in Slavic languages.

1. Ransom - the money or the price of the deal.
*"What do you need that money for?"
"For ransom."*

2. to ransom - to pay someone's ransom, to pay the price to free someone from captivity, to buy someone out
*"I ransomed him with one-hundred sheep and a slave girl"*

3. to ransom - to exact the payment of ransom from someone, to hold someone in captivity for ransom, to sell someone for ransom;  (the process of making demands, negotiating, receiving payment and releasing... or just the event/exchange - the receiving of money and sale/release of the captives)
*"The crews of cargo ships were hijacked and ransomed for months."
"Phrynon of Rhamnus is captured and ransomed by Macedonian pirates"*

_(I know it's strange for ransom to mean both sides of the transaction, buyer and seller.  Hopefully Slavic languages are less confusing)_

4. To hold (someone) to ransom - 
A: to keep (captives, property) until payment or demands are met (the act of imprisonment for demands)
B: to force someone into doing something by putting them in a position where they have no choice or where they risk something bad happening to them if they don't.

*The District council is being "held to ransom" by minister over name of a new bridge in Strabane*.  Context:  The council has been given 30 days to come up with a new name or risk losing £1m in government funding.  The council's shortlist, through political pressure, only has 1 name - Ivan Barr, a former Sinn Fein member.  The ministry refused and gave them 30 days to choose another name or lose government funding. The Sinn Fein/council are claiming that they are being "held to ransom" by the minister -  they are put in a situation where they have no choice but to comply... or they must comply or something bad will happen. (funding will be gone)

It is hyperbolic -  in this usage, unlike captive sales, the hostage and ransom-payer are the same person.  The council is the one held to ransom by the the ministry and the council is also the same party that is supposed to meet the demands of the ministry.   The ministry's threat/demands are "_give us a a better name or lose the funding._"   The funding is not the ransom money, since the flow is the other direction (from captor to captive).

It's a very hyperbolic way of saying "We have no choice."

Maybe such an overdramatized expression is not used in Slavic languages.  I hope you could help me with the rest.  

Thank you in advance for your time.


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## Lubella

1 викуп
2 викуповувати, викупляти, викупити
3 шантажувати, шантаж, вимагання


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## Azori

Slovak:

1. výkupné (ransom)
Načo potrebujete tie peniaze?
Na výkupné.

2. vykúpiť (to ransom), platiť / zaplatiť výkupné (to pay ransom)
Vykúpil som ho za sto ovcí a mladú otrokyňu.
Zaplatil som za neho výkupné sto ovcí a mladú otrokyňu.

3. držať ako rukojemníka (to hold as hostage)
Posádky nákladných lodí boli unesené a držané mesiace ako rukojemníci.
Phrynon z Rhamnusu bol zajatý a je držaný ako rukojemník macedónskymi pirátmi.

4. = 3.
Rada dištriktu je ministrom držaná ako rukojemník kvôli menu nového mostu v Strabane.


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## Panceltic

Slovenian:

1) odkupnina

Zakaj potrebuješ ta denar? - Za odkupnino.

2) odkupiti

Odkupil sem ga s stotimi ovcami in sužnjo.

3) vzeti/imeti za talca (to take/have as hostage) or zahtevati odkupnino (to request ransom)

Posadko tovornih ladij so ugrabili in jih imeli za talce več mesecev.
Rhamnuški Phrynon (?) so ugrabili makedonski pirati in zanj zahtevajo odkupnino.

4) I'm not sure, maybe držati v šahu (an expression from the game of chess)

Minister drži v šahu okrožni svet glede imena novega mostu v Strabanu.


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## rusita preciosa

Russian:
1. выкуп (literally, out- buy)
2. платить выкуп (рау the ransom)
3. шантажировать (blackmail, from the French chantage), вымогать (extort), требовать выкуп (demand ransom)
4. держать в заложниках (hold as hostage)


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## Милан

Serbian:
1. откуп
2. платити откуп
3. тражити откуп, уцењивати
4. држати као таоца


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## marco_2

Polish:

1. okup (ransom money)
2. płacić / zapłacić okup (to pay the ransom)
3. żądać okupu, szantażować (to demand ransom, to blackmail)
4. trzymać / przetrzymywać zakładnika (to hold as hostage)


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## paunkiller

Bulgarian:
1. Откуп
2. Да платиш откуп, да откупиш
3. Да искаш откуп - to exact the payment of ransom from someone
   Да вземеш заложник - to hold someone in captivity for ransom
   Отвличане срещу откуп - to sell someone for ransom, шантажиране, изнудване (to blackmail), искане на откуп (to demand ransom)
4. Да държиш заложник - to hold (someone) to ranson
  A - Заложник - to keep (captives, property) until payment or demands are met (the act of imprisonment for demands)
  B - Шантажиране, изнудване - to force someone into doing something by putting them in a position where they have no choice or where they risk something bad happening to them if they don't.


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