Latin Abbreviations in Death Records

Introduction

Death or burial records written in Latin sometimes include cryptic-looking abbreviations. Once decoded, these notations may provide helpful details for the family historian.

List of abbreviations

a.a.s. - died in the --- ^th year of his/her age (anno aetatis suae)

d.s.p. - died without children (decessit sine prole)

d.s.p.l. - died without legitimate children (decessit sine prole legitima)

d.s.p.m.s. - died without surviving male children (decessit sine prole mascula supersita)

d.v.p. - died in the lifetime of his father (decessit vita patris)

d.v.m. - died in the lifetime of his mother (decessit vita matris)

eod. an. - the same year (eodem anno)

et al - and others (et alii)

Inst. - [of this] present month (instans)

Liber - book/volume

nepos - grandson

Ob. - he/she died (obiit)

relict[us/a] - left-behind, surviving (spouse or child)

test[es] - witnesses

Ult - last (ultimo)

Ux - wife (uxor)

Viz. - namely (videlicet)