svobodou

Svobodou is the instrumental case of the Czech noun svoboda, meaning freedom or liberty. In Czech grammar, svoboda is a feminine noun; its instrumental singular form is svobodou, while the instrumental plural is svobodami. The instrumental case in general denotes means, manner, or instrument, and in some constructions it marks the state or condition under which an action takes place. As a grammatical form, svobodou is used in formal, literary, and historical language to discuss freedom as a concept and in expressions that describe how actions are performed or under what circumstances.

Etymology and cognates: The word svoboda derives from Proto-Slavic *svoboda*, and is part of a family of related terms across Slavic languages referring to freedom or liberty. Cognates include Russian svoboda and Slovak sloboda, with corresponding instrumental forms in those languages differing from Czech.

Usage and context: In modern Czech, svobodou appears primarily as a grammatical form rather than a standalone lexical item. It is common in texts dealing with liberty, human rights, emancipation, and political philosophy, as well as in poetry and formal discourse. The form is typically found in conjunction with verbs and prepositions that govern the instrumental case or in fixed literary expressions.

See also: svoboda, liberty.

Notes: This article focuses on the linguistic and usage aspects of the instrumental form svobodou. For the broader concept of freedom itself, see svoboda.