Bondage

In its most basic sense, the word bondage refers to the state or condition of being bound to an unfree labor system, as in slavery, indentured servitude, or serfdom. More generally, "bondage" may refer to any state of subjection to a force, influence, or power. The word bondage is derived from the Middle English bonde ("serf"), which came from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) word b?nda ("husbandman"), which itself comes from the Old Norse b?ndi, the past participle of b?a ("to live").

Related Topics:
Unfree labor - Slavery - Indentured servitude - Serfdom - Middle English - Old English - Husbandman - Old Norse - Past participle

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Specific meanings of "bondage" and words with the "bond-" prefix include:

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• Debt bondage, a modern form of slavery in which people are bound by debt, rather than legal ownership.
• Bondage in BDSM is the practice of tying people up for sexual pleasure.
• The term bondage is also used figuratively in religion, to mean spiritual attachment, such as to the physical world, or an evil compelling force, such as original sin.
• A bondmaid is a woman servant.
• A bondman is a male servant.
• A bondsman is a person who provides bonds or surety for another.

See also: Bonding

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