Polina ManakhovaSchool 119From 5ASt. Petrsburg2013-2014

LIBERTY

I have chosen word “liberty” because, in my opinion, it is very sonorous, bright and proud at the same time. English word “liberty” derived from Latin word “libertas”. Word “liberty” is used in the English language approximately from 1375 as a word resulted from French word “liberté”. Liberty is the greatest value of people. It is independence, lack of any restrictions.

There is a synonym to “liberty” in the English language. This is Saxon word “freedom”. In general “liberty” and “freedom” can be used as synonyms in the same situations. However, some linguists say that word “freedom” has more individual meaning.

For example, well-known British philosopher, economist and politician John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) understood “liberty” and “freedom” meaning as follows: “liberty from society” and “freedom for the purpose of something”.

In our modern world liberty is a basis а the life (political liberty, liberty of speech, liberty of religion, liberty of choice etc.). Fight for liberty and independence, existing from the earliest times up to now, takes place in different spheres of our life. People made an idol of liberty in times past, make it nowadays and will make it in future.

For example, the Romans idolized the goddess Libertе and decorated her portraits with copper coins.

Everybody knows the goddess Britannia (the goddess of liberty) in the Great Britain. Britannia is usually shown as a young woman with Corinthian helmet on her head, as well as crested shield and trident in her hands. There is the National Armada memorial in Plymouth depicting Britannia. Britannia is depicted on a British coins.

“Liberty Enlightening the World” (in other words “Statue of Liberty”) is very well known in the United States of America. So called “Lady Liberty” is a proud symbol of New York. It is a present of France for 100-year anniversary of American Revolution.

Every inhabitant of France adores the goddess Marianna. It is interesting that this goddess is often shown with the Phrygian cap on her head (red cap of soft cloth with upper part sliding forward). This cap is considered as a symbol of liberty/revolution and is named as LIBERTY cap.

One more known "Lady Liberty" towers in the center of the capital of Latvia (Riga). Her name is Milda. She holds three stars. They symbolize three parts of Latvia.

British have a proverb: “Your liberty to wave a hand comes to an end where my nose begins.”

Famous Russian thinker and the revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876) paraphrased it: “Liberty of one comes to an end there where liberty of another begins.”

Americans like to quote the outstanding politicians. So, the third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) told: “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Summing up my work, I take the liberty of stating that word “liberty” is one of the most interesting words in English. In 2004 the British Council interrogated 40 000 persons from 46 countries and made a top of the most beautiful English words. “Liberty” took the 9th place.