A freeman, in the old and careful sense, is someone who is not a slave — a person who belongs to themselves, not to another human being. English has used the word this way for a very long time; it comes from Old English frēomann, built like free + man.

A freeman, in the old and careful senseFreeman這個字，用最古老、最嚴謹的意義來說 is someone who is not a slave是指不是奴隸的人——a person who belongs to themselves, not to another human being一個屬於自己、不屬於另一個人的人。English has used the word this way for a very long time英文用這個意思用了很久很久；it comes from Old English frēomann它來自古英文的frēomann，built like free + man組成方式就像free加man。

In history books you also meet it for a man who was not a serf, and in some British towns a freeman was a citizen with the right to trade or to take part in the town's business.

In history books在歷史書裡 you also meet it for a man who was not a serf你也會看到它指不是農奴的男人，and in some British towns而在英國有些城鎮裡 a freeman was a citizen with the right to trade or to take part in the town's businessfreeman是有權利做生意或參與鎮上事務的公民。

Today, outside history class, people almost never say freeman to mean “not a slave”; they just say free, or a free person. Though actually, man here is the older English way of saying a person, not “an adult male only,” even if later ears hear it that way.

Today, outside history class現在，除了歷史課以外，people almost never say freeman to mean “not a slave”大家幾乎不會用freeman來表示「不是奴隸」；they just say free, or a free person就只會說free或a free person。Though actually不過其實，man here is the older English way of saying a person這裡的man是比較古老的英文用法，指「一個人」，not “an adult male only,”而不是「只指成年男性」，even if later ears hear it that way就算後來的人聽起來會以為是那個意思。

You will still see Freeman as a family name — sometimes a name taken up by people who had been freed, and sometimes just from the old status-word turning into a surname.

You will still see Freeman as a family name你還是會看到Freeman當作姓氏——sometimes a name taken up by people who had been freed有時候是被釋放的人取的名字，and sometimes just from the old status-word turning into a surname有時候只是那個古老的身分用字變成了姓氏。