German Genealogical Word List

One thing that can come in handy for a new researcher is having a list of common genealogical terms in the language(s) of the records that they are researching.  One resource that has been invaluable in our research has been Ernest Thode's book, German English Genealogical Dictionary, which was one of my textbooks when I studied genealogy in college.  Some other helpful online word lists include FamilySearch.org's German Genealogical Word List & Latin Genealogical Word List.  And, although it is far from perfect, Google Translate can be useful tool too.

We found it helpful to keep a list of words that we came across for future reference.  Some of these are common terms, while others took a little deeper digging to find out what they meant in the genealogical/historical context.  Many of these words are German, and some are Latin.  Here is our word list:

• adolescens = young person (an unmarried person) 
• alhier/alhir/alh. = of here
• alle = all
• Altersschwäche = debility of old age
• Altvatter = old father (or family patriarch or ancestor)
• amtsbezirk wie ober = office district as above
• Anmerkung = Note
• Anno/Ann./A. = year
• auch daher = also therefore [from the same place]
• aus/auß = from, of
• auszüger = retired farmer living on property for remainder of life
• begrabe/bgrabe = bury
• beide = both
• bräuereibesitzer = brewery owner
• bräuhauspachten = brew house renter/leasor
• büchsenmachergesell = gunsmith journeyman
• capellano = chaplain
• daselbst, das. = residing in this place, there, the previously mentioned place
• Derselbe = the same
• dessen = its, whose, of which
• eam ex sacro fonte = her godparents
• Eheleiblich = legitimate(ly)
• ehelige = before that time
• ehemals = formerly
• Einwohner = Resident
• Einwohnerin = Female Resident
• Eltern = Parents
• Entkräftung = weakness as found in old age
• eodem, idem = the same, in the same place, to the same person, to the same matter (ditto)
• fabrikant = manufacturer
• fraissen = infantile convulsions (cause of death)
• galupner/kalupner = a small farmer
• Gärtner = Gardener
• Gazarius/Cazarius/Casarius = Cottager
• Geschlekt = Gender
• getauft/gtaufft = baptized
• Gottesacker = God’s acre (name of a cemetery)
• Grosjährigkit (or Grosjährigkeit) = Coming of Age
• hausler/haußler = house owner/cottager
• Hebame = midwife
• hiesiger = local
• infans = infant (or young child)
• jetzt = now, currently
• Juvenis = young person (an unmarried person)
• k. k. privilegierten Schützenkorps = (k. k. stands for “Kaiserlich und Königlich,” or “Imperial and Royal”, referring to the Hapsburg Dynasty) Royal Imperial Privileged Rifle Corps
• Katholische = Catholic
• Knab = male
• klein hausler = small house owner (cottager)
• Levans/Lev: = godparent
• lungenlähmung = lung paralysis (cause of death)
• Mägden = Maid (female)
• Messner = Sacristan (an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents)  [A sacristy is a room for keeping sacred church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records].
• Minderjährig = underage
• mittags = midday
• mortuus = died
• nachmittags = in the afternoon
• Nottaufe = emergency baptism (performed before the death of a newborn)
• Ort = place, town
• p: t: = pro tempori, “temporary” OR p: t: = pleno titulo, “with full title”
• Parens/Parentibus = parents
• pathen/bathen = godparent or witness
• Pfarramt = Parish Office
• pistoris, pistor = miller or baker
• Prolem = Offspring
• Protestanth = Protestant
• R: P: = Reverendus Pater, “Reverend Father”
• sacerdote ecclesiastica = church priest
• sepeliendum = burial
• Sepulty = buried
• Stand = status (information describing a person, such as their occupation, residence, etc.)
• Söhnlein = little son
• Syndikus = Counsel
• Tauft Pathin/TauftPath = godparent
• Teleonarius = Tax Collector
• Telonarius = Toll Collector
• Testes = Witnesses
• Tochterlein = little daughter
• Unehelich = Illegitimate
• Unterschrift = signature
• Unverehelicht, Unverhelicht = un-single (married)
• Verehelicht, Verhelicht = single, unmarried
• Verkündigungen = marriage bans
• Virgo = virgin (an unmarried woman)
• wirthschaftsbesitzer = businessowners
• Zeugen/Züg. = Witnesses