Estonian Word of the Week: Pantvang (Hostage)

Valgamaalane, July 14, 2011

Pantvangid pääsesid vabadusse

Neljapäeva varahommikul vabastati Eesti, Liibanoni ja teiste partnerite koostöö tulemusel Liibanonis röövitud seitse Eesti kodanikku. (Some of the cyclists are from the province of Valgamaa, read the story here.)

The Baltic Times, July 15, 2011

Estonian Hostages Freed

TALLINN -- "The seven Estonian men who were kidnapped while cycling through Lebanon in March have been set free and are back on home soil."  (English roundup of Baltic news, here).

The most captivating Estonian news headlines this week must be the happy end to the 113 day hostage crisis. Yesterday the Lebanon NOW headline read "Estonians freed, but mystery remains"; it went so far as to state: 

"The truth of what happened to the men, and who was behind their abduction, therefore may not come out for weeks or months, if it ever does."  

We hope the opposite is true and that truth will out. (From Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice")

What are the origins of the words "hostage" and "pantvang"?

Both the Finnish "panttivanki" and Estonian "pantvang" are similar in origin and are divided into two words, pant and vang. Pant, pantti originate from the Latin pīgnus, pīgnoris (pīgneris) n.  a pledge, gage, pawn, security, guaranty; they were loan words from the Germanic base Pfand, a pledge, pawn, security.

Vang, vanki (prisoner) derive from the Germanic root Gefangene and are similar to the Swedish fånge and the Icelandic fangi and can also be traced back to the English word fang. 

Photo: Frank van Mierlo

Vang is also a nautical term:
A boom vang (US) or kicking strap (UK) is a line or piston system on a sailboat used to exert downward force on the boom and thus control the shape of the sail. An older term is "martingale".The vang typically runs from the base of the mast to a point about a third of the way out the boom.

Here are the Estonian definitions from "Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat"

Pant: 
1. vara, millega tagatakse laenu vm. kohustuse täitmine. Maad, talu panti panema. Andis raha eest kella, sõrmuse pandiks. Tal on kogu varandus panti viidud. Raamatuid laenutati pandi vastu. Pandiks võeti kaks sõjavangi. Ls. kinnis|pant, vallaspant. (mortgage, security, collateral).
2. tagatis millegi saavutamiseks. Õnne pant. See ennastsalgav tegu sai meie sõpruse pandiks. Teaduse arengu pandiks oli ta seos praktikaga. Annan pandiks oma mehesõna. Lapsed on rahva tuleviku pant. Töö on edu pant. (pledge of security, future happiness).
3. pandimängus ese, mille mängujuht võtab mängijalt ja mis tuleb mingi ülesande täitmisega välja lunastada. Kes mängureeglite vastu eksib, annab pandi. Mängisime pantide lunastamist. Mida peab see tegema, kelle pant minu käes on? 

 Vang:
1. vanglas karistust kandev v. eelvangistuses viibiv isik. Paljaks pöetud peaga vang. Sunnitööle mõistetud vangid.
2. vaenlase poolt kinni võetud isik (näit. sõjavang, pantvang). Sõjas võetud vangid. 

3. PILTL a. keegi, kes on kuskil kinni, ei saa liikuda v. lahkuda. Et võtit polnud, oldi vangid omas kodus. Teedelagunemise aegu oleme oma koduküla vangid. b. (inimese kohta, kes on millegi kütkes, lummuses). Ta on oma kujutluste, iseenda, armastuse, töö vang. 

And last, but not least: vàng in Vietnamese means gold. Coincidence or not?

Adamson-Eric: Gold Brooch and Bracelet, 1968, Estonian Museum of Art