Liberal, Libertine, Libertarian, Librettist

In German, if you wish to say you, you must choose between seven words: du, dich, dir, Sie, Ihnen, ihr, and euch. This can cause immense social anxiety.

The composer Richard Strauss and his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, were partners for twenty-five years and apparently adored each other and yet never quite found the nerve to address each other as anything but the stiff Sie.

In English we avoid these problems by relying on just one form: you.” –Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language by Bill Bryson

Liberal functions as an adjective and noun. As an adjective, liberal means giving freely, giving generously, giving something to someone in the time of need amply, abundantly; open-minded; not strict; not literal pertaining to interpretations; something such as a study related to the broadening of the mind, not technical.

Religiously, liberal means someone who is not rigid in following religious rites, rituals, conventions but believing that they could be dispensable, liable to change.

If you are liberal, it means you favour individual liberty, freedom of thought and expression, you believe in free trade and open markets, vouching for moderate political and social reforms.

Some people are liberal (open-minded) but many could be traditional and orthodox. Liberal refers to someone who is willing to respect others, other people’s views and feelings even if they are opposed to one’s own, even if they are radical and challenging the status quo.

He is a liberal man: gives money and materials to people in need.

She grew up in an atmosphere whose parents were liberal (not strict, not rigourous)Liberal Hindus, liberal Muslims, Liberal Christians…often challenge the irrational religious beliefs drawing scorn from the clerics and orthodox.

Liberal as a noun refers to a person who has liberal views. Libertarian believes media should be free. The government of the day should not control the press, nor interfere with it. In this concept, liberty of the press dominates over everything else.

Libertarian is an advocate of liberty, and such an ideology promotion liberty is called libertarianism. “She was aware of his libertine relationship with the women in the factory, but had ceased to be hurt by them.

When Baby Kochamma brought up the subject, Mammachi became tense and tight-lipped.”–The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Libertarian is an advocate of freedom of thought and speech.
Libertine is a person (man) who leads an immoral life, and are mainly interested in sexual pleasures.
Libertine is a licentious person.
Libertine is a dissolute person.