Thread: to abolish

Do you, English speaking people, associate the words "abolish" or "abolition" only with slavery in US? Can I use it with Russian serfdom? And is it appropriate to call "Декабристы" the first Russian abolitionists?

I don't particularly associate it with anything. You can 'abolish' whatever you like, that is, if it's an existing institution, law, custom etc.

Originally Posted by chubby

Do you, English speaking people, associate the words "abolish" or "abolition" only with slavery in US? Can I use it with Russian serfdom? And is it appropriate to call "Декабристы" the first Russian abolitionists?

I know one American who says "abolish public schools". You can abolish just about everything. The concise Oxford dictionary of current English says:

abolish v.tr. put an end to the existence or practice of (esp. a custom
or institution).

Well, isn't that something? I gave almost exactly the same definition without a dictionary.

About the dekabrists, I don't think you should call them that without explaining what they wanted to abolish. And I'm sure there had been a lot of other revolutionaries (which is essentially what they were) before them.