A Glossary of Genealogical Terms

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A

a (ab)

• Latin word for "from, by."

a cagione di

• Italian word for "because of."

a casa

• Italian word for "at home."

a reçu

• French word for "has received."

a, az

• Hungarian word for "the."

außer Dienst(a.D.)

• German word for "formerly employed, retired."

avioliiton ulkopuolella

• Finnish word for "illegitimate, out of wedlock."

a

• Czech word for "and."
• French word for "has."
• Portuguese word for "the (feminine)" and "to, toward."
• Spanish word for "to, in, into, on."

abuela materna (Aa.M.)

• Spanish word for "maternal grandmother."

abuela paterna (Aa.P.)

• Spanish word for "paternal grandmother."

aamu

• Finnish word for "morning."

aamulla

• Finnish word for "in the morning."

aamupäivä

• Finnish word for "forenoon."

aan, Afrikaans

• Afrikaans word for "to."

aan, Dutch

• Dutch word for "upon, to."

aand

• Afrikaans word for "evening."

aangenome naam

• Afrikaans word for "alias."

aangenomen naam

• Dutch word for "named, alias, also known as, assumed name, accepted surname."

aangiften

• Dutch word for "intentions (marriage), declarations."

aanneem

• Afrikaans word for "to adopt (a child)."

aannemen

• Dutch word for "to adopt (a child), to assume, to take on."

aanneming

• Dutch word for "confirmation."

aannemingsdag

• Dutch word for "day of confirmation."

aanstaande, Afrikaans

• Afrikaans word for "betrothed, future (husband/wife), next."

aanstaande, Dutch

• Dutch word for "next, toward, following, expectant, future, impending."

aanval

• Dutch word for "stroke, attack."

aarde, Afrikaans

• Afrikaans word for "earth (buried in)."

aarde, Dutch

• Dutch word for "earth (buried in), ground."

aardrijkskundig woordenboek

• Dutch word for "gazetteer."

aardrykskundige woordeboek

• Afrikaans word for "gazetteer."

aateli(nen)

• Finnish word for "noble."

aatelisto

• Finnish word for "nobility."

aatto

• Finnish word for "eve."

ab

• German word for "from, since."

ab hoc mense

• Latin word for "from this month on."

abaixo-assinado

• Portuguese word for "undersigned."

abavia

• Latin word for "great-great-grandmother."

abavus

• Latin word for "great-great-grandfather, ancestor."

abbiamo

• Italian word for "we have."

abbiente

• Italian word for "owner."

abbracciatutto

• Italian word for "jack-of-all-trades."

abcesso

• Portuguese word for "abscess."

abdormitus

• Latin word for "died."

abdormivit

• Latin word for "he/she died."

Abend

• German word for "evening."

abends

• German word for "in the evening."

aber

• German word for "but."

abgestorben

• German word for "deceased."

abiatico

• Italian word for "grandson."

abiit

• Latin word for "he/she died."

abinde

• Latin word for "since."

abitante

• Italian word for "inhabitant."

abitare

• Italian word for "to live."

abitazione

• Italian word for "home, residence."

abitus est

• Latin word for "he/she died, went away."

abjectarius

• Latin word for "cabinetmaker, woodworker."

abjurations

• French word for "renunciations of Protestant faith."

abjuro

• Latin word for "to renounce by oath."

ablutus est

• Latin word for "he was baptized."

abogado

• Spanish word for "lawyer."

abolished

• Done away with, discontinued.

abril(abl)

• Spanish and Portuguese word for "April."
  

abs

• Latin word for "from, by."

absceso

• Spanish word for "abscess."

abscessus

• Latin word for "death."

Absentee landlords

• Landowners who lived far away from the area they owned. Most of the landowners for Prince Edward Island before 1873 lived in Great Britain. People who lived on the island rented or leased the land from them.

absolution

• French word for "absolution, last rites."

absolvere

• Danish and Norwegian word for "to give absolution."

absque

• Latin word for "without, except."

absterben

• German word for "to die, to die off."

abstersus

• Latin word for "baptized."

Abstract Index of Deeds, Canada

• A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Deeds refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Deeds is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Title.

Abstract Index of Title, Canada:

• A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Title refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Title is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Deeds.

Abstract, census

• The summary of census results sent to the United States government by the census taker.

Abstract, general

• A summary that contains only the pertinent points of a longer text. Abstracts are commonly created for articles (such as obituaries) in periodicals and newspapers and for documents or collections of records.

abuela

• Spanish word for "grandmother."

abuela materna (Aa.M.)

• Spanish word for "maternal grandmother."

abuela paterna (Aa.P.)

• Spanish word for "paternal grandmother."

abuelo

• Spanish word for "grandfather."

abuelos

• Spanish word for "grandparents."

abuo

• Latin word for "I baptize, I wash."

aby

• Polish and Czech word for "so that."

ac

• Latin word for "and."

Acadia, Canada

• A region in what is now Eastern Canada that comprises the present-day provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The area remained under French control until the end of Queen Anne's War (1702–1713). The Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which ended this war, gave Acadia to Great Britain. A dispute arose, however, because some parts of Acadia had remained neutral during the war, so only peninsular Nova Scotia ended up in British control at that time. In 1755, during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. The Acadians who refused were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, most returned to southern New Brunswick. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where they became the Cajuns.

Acadian

• A person from Acadia; also a descendant of French settlers who came from the Acadia region of Canada, or present-day New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In 1755 during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. When they refused, many were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, some returned to northern New Brunswick and to coastal areas of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where their descendants became known as the Cajuns.

acatholicus

• Latin word for "non-Catholic, Protestant."

accanto

• Italian word for "beside."

Accelerated Indexing Systems

• A private company that published indexes to various United States censuses and other records.

accipio

• Latin word for "to take, receive, take possession of."

accola

• Latin word for "local resident."

accoucher

• French word for "give birth."

accoucheuse

• French word for "midwife."

Account, financial

• The records containing information regarding an individual’s or institution’s financial dealings.

Account, guardianship

• A record that contains the details of a guardian’s services in support of a minor child.

Accounts, probate

• Records that show all transactions pertaining to the settlement of a deceased person's estate.

accusato

• Italian word for "accused, charged."

acheter

• French word for "to buy."

acht

• German and Dutch word for "eight."

achte

• German word for "eighth."

achtenswaardig

• Dutch word for "respectable, honorable."

achtentwintig

• Dutch word for "twenty-eight."

achtentwintigste

• Dutch word for "twenty-eighth."

achterkleindochter

• Dutch word for "great-granddaughter."

achterkleinzoon

• Dutch word for "great-grandson."

achternaam

• Dutch word for "surname, last name."

achtste

• Dutch word for "eighth."

achttien

• Dutch word for "eighteen."

achttiende

• Dutch word for "eighteenth."

achtundzwanzig

• German word for "twenty-eight."

achtundzwanzigste

• German word for "twenty-eighth."

achtzehn

• German word for "eighteen."

achtzehnhundert

• German word for "eighteen hundred."

achtzehnte

• German word for "eighteenth."

achtzig

• German word for "eighty."

achtzigste

• German word for "eightieth."

acicularius

• Latin word for "needle maker."

Acid free

• Acid in poor quality paper causes the destruction of documents and photographs. Documents whould be written on acid free paper, and documents should be stored in acid-free containers. See archival quality.

Ackermann

• German word for "farmer."

acordo

• Portuguese word for "agreement."

acougueiro

• Portuguese word for "butcher."

acquiescat

• Latin word for "he/she reposes, dies, is content with."

acquietus est

• Latin word for "he died."

acra

• Latin word for "acre."

acre

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "acre."

Act book

• A day-by-day account of probate court actions. Also called grant book.

Act of the Parliament of Canada

• A decision, law, or determination made by the Parliament of Canada. Divorce in Canada used to require an act of Parliament.

Act of Union, Canada

• A law passed by the British Parliament in 1840 that established a united government for Lower Canada (to be called Canada East and later Québec) and Upper Canada (to be called Canada West and later Ontario). In 1791 the British government had established two colonies in central Canada: one to please the English-speaking United Empire Loyalists and another to please the French-speaking settlers. These two colonies had separate governments until the Act of Union took effect in 1841. The act provided for one governor to oversee both colonies. It established two legislative bodies. The legislative council was made up of 20 people appointed by the governor. The legislative assembly was made up of 42 members elected by the people in the colonies. The act established English as the only official language for councils and assemblies. French was made the second official language in 1848.

acta

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "record, document."

acte de baptême

• French word for "baptismal record."

acte de décès

• French word for "death record."

acte de naissance

• French word for "birth certificate, record."

acte de sépulture

• French word for "burial record."

Actes de tutelle

• A French term for guardianship agreement.

Actes notaries

• The French term for notarial records, which are records prepared by a notary. In France, Québec, and other areas of the world, notaries prepare acts and contracts and certify authentic copies of them. Some important notarial records in France include marriage contracts (contrats de mariage), wills (testaments), divisions of property among heirs (partages and successions), household inventories taken after someone's death (inventaires des biens or inventaires après décès), and guardianship agreements (actes de tutelle).

Action against Sweden, in Bohuslän (1788)

• A failed attempt by Norway to capture the fortress at Bohus.

actum

• Latin word for "record."

Acuerdos

• The Spanish term for an agreement or settlement.

ad

• Latin word for "to, at, in, for, towards."

Addendum

• A portion of the International Genealogical Index® that contains the names acquired since the main file was published.

Addendum, Index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland on Microfiche, Scotland

• One of the two parts of the index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland. It contains all entries that were missed in the Main index. The index is organized alphabetically by surname.

Additional Information, Scotland Church Records

• A field on the Scottish Church Records that contains notes written by the person who indexed the original record. This field may contain frame numbers, additional relatives, or other information.

Address

• The street or mailing location where a person or a business is located or may be communicated with.

Addressbücher, Germany

• The German word for a city directory, which lists the names, addresses, and possibly telephone numbers of people living in the same city.

addì

• Italian word for "on the day."

adel

• Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish word for "nobility."

Adel, German

• German word for "gentry, nobleman."

adelig

• Danish and Norwegian word for "noble."

adellijk

• Dutch word for "noble, titled."

adelsman

• Swedish word for "nobleman."

adelsmann

• Danish and Norwegian word for "nobleman."

aderlating

• Dutch word for "bleeding, bloodletting."

aderton(de)

• Swedish word for "eighteen (eighteenth)."

adesso

• Italian word for "now."

adhuc

• Latin word for "as yet, still."

adjoint du maire

• French word for "mayor's assistant."

Adjutant

• An officer in the army, air force, or marines who helps other higher-ranking officers with tasks such as correspondence.

Administration

• A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An administration may also be called a letter of administration or admon.

adjutor

• Latin word for "assistant."

adjuvenis

• Latin word for "assistant."

adlig

• Swedish word for "noble."

administración

• Spanish word for "administration."

Administration bond

• A written statement posted by the administrator of an estate guaranteeing that he or she will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.

Administration of estate

• A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An administration may also be called a letter of administration or admon.

Administrator

• An individual appointed by a court to settle a deceased individual’s estate if that individual did not leave a will.

administração

   Portuguese word for "administration."

Admiral

• A high-ranking officer in the navy or coast guard. There are four grades of admiral: admiral of the fleet, vice-admiral, admiral, and rear-admiral. The admiral of the fleet is the highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiral of the fleet

• The highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiralty court

• A court with jurisdiction over ships and seamen. Admiralty courts were originally British courts. After the Revolutionary War, federal district courts began handling admiralty cases in the United States.

Admiralty court, Pennsylvania

• A court established in 1697 in Maryland to deal with issues of navigation and trade. This court had jurisdiction in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Jersey. In 1789, this court was dissolved and the authority transferred to federal jurisdiction.

Admission record

• A record created when an individual became a member of a church or a particular congregation.

Admon

• A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An admon may also be called a letter of administration or administration bond.

Admon with will

• A record granting the right to administer an estate when the executor named in the will is deceased or unwilling or unable to act as executor.

adolescens

• Latin word for "young man, adolescent."

adoptado (a)

• Spanish word for "adopted."

adopterad

• Swedish word for "adopted."

adopteret

• Danish word for "adopted."

adoptert

• Norwegian word for "adopted."

adoptiert

• German word for "adopted."

Adoption

• A legal process in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoption record

• A record of the legal proceedings in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoptive parents

• Parents who legally assume responsibility for the rights and privileges of a child not born to them. The duty of caring for the child is transferred from the natural parents to the adoptive parents.

adoptovaný

• Czech word for "adopted."

adoptowany

• Polish word for "adopted."

adoptált

• Hungarian word for "adopted."

adopté(e)

• French word for "adopted."

adotado (a)

• Portuguese word for "adopted."

adottato, -a

• Italian word for "adopted."

adresboek

• Dutch word for "directory."

adress

• Swedish word for "address."

adressbok

• Swedish word for "directory."

adresse

• Danish and Norwegian word for "address."

adulterio

• Spanish word for "adultery."

adulterium

• Latin word for "adultery."

adultère

• French word for "adulterer."

adultério

• Portuguese word for "adultery."

advenit

• Latin word for "he appeared, came."

advocaat

• Dutch word for "notary, lawyer."

advocatus

• Latin word for "lawyer."

advogado (a)

• Portuguese word for "lawyer."

advokaat

• Afrikaans word for "advocate, lawyer."

adó

• Hungarian word for "tax."

adúltero (a)

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "adulterer."

aeger

• Latin word for "sick."

aegyptus

• Latin word for "gypsy."

aequalis

• Latin word for "equal."

aetas (aetatis)

• Latin word for "age."

aetate

• Latin word for "(being) in the age of, age."

af

• Icelandic word for "by."

af

• Danish word for "of, at, by, from."

afdeling

• Danish word for "part, division, portion."

afdød

• Danish word for "deceased."

afficher les bans

• French word for "post banns."

affiché

• French word for "posted (on door)."

Affidavit

• A voluntarily written declaration of facts that is confirmed by the oath of the individual making the declaration and witnessed by an individual having authority to administer such an oath.

African-American

• A term generally used in the United States to describe residents of African descent.

affinitas

• Latin word for "relationship by marriage."

affinità

• Italian word for "relationship."

affirmavit

• Latin word for "he/she affirmed, confirmed, asserted."

affittuario, -a

• Italian word for "renter, tenant."

afgangne

• Danish word for "departed."

afgangsliste

• Danish word for "moving-out record."

afgift

• Danish word for "duty, monetary fee."

afi

• Icelandic word for "grandfather."

afkondigen

• Dutch word for "to post banns."

afkondigingen

• Dutch word for "proclamations, banns."

aflausn

• Icelandic word for "public remission of sins."

Ancestral File number (AFN)

• A number used to identify each record in Ancestral File.

afogamento

• Portuguese word for "drowning."

afschrift(en)

• Dutch word for "extract, duplicate record, transcript, certified copy."

afskrif(te)

• Afrikaans word for "duplicate, transcript."

aften

• Danish and Norwegian word for "evening."

afton

• Swedish word for "evening."

aftægt

• Danish word for "support received after giving up an estate."

ag, agt

• Afrikaans word for "eight."

Agency records

• Records kept by an agency of the United States government, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

agente

• Italian word for "agent."

agentis

• Latin word for "of the official."

agglegény

• Hungarian word for "bachelor."

agnatus

• Latin word for "blood relative in the male line."

ago

• Spanish word for "August."

agosto, Spanish (ago, agto)

• Spanish word for "August."

agonia

• Latin word for "cramps."

agosto

• Portuguese and Spanish word for "August."

agosto

• Italian and Portuguese word for "August."

agosto, Spanish (ago, agto)

• Spanish word for "August."

Agreement and crew list, Britain

• A list of crew members serving on a ship that includes written agreements stating each crew member's wages, the capacity in which he was serving, and the nature of the voyage. Masters or owners of merchant ships were required to keep these lists and agreements starting in 1747 when Parliament passed the Act for the Relief of Disabled Seamen. Lists for a few ports survive for the period 1747 to 1834.

Agricultural schedule

• A list in the 1850 to 1880 censuses that contains information on farms and the names of farmers.

agricola

• Latin word for "farmer."

agricoltore

• Italian word for "farmer."

agricultor

• Spanish word for "farmer."

agste

• Afrikaans word for "eighth."

agt-en-twintig

• Afrikaans word for "twenty-eight."

agt-en-twintigste

• Afrikaans word for "twenty-eighth."

agterkleindogter

• Afrikaans word for "great-granddaughter."

agterkleinkind

• Afrikaans word for "great-grandchild."

agterkleinseun

• Afrikaans word for "great-grandson."

agtien

• Afrikaans word for "eighteen."

agtiende

• Afrikaans word for "eighteenth."

agto

• Spanish word for "August."

agyláz

• Hungarian word for "brain fever."

agyvérzés

• Hungarian word for "stroke, apoplexy."

ahenarius

• Latin word for "coppersmith."

Ahnen

• German word for "ancestors."

Ahnenpaß, Germany

• A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified from civil registration records and parish registers. The English term for this type of record is ancestor passport.

Ahnentafel chart

• A table that lists the name and date and place of birth, marriage, and death for an individual and specified number of his or her ancestors. The first individual on the list is number one, the father is number two, the mother is number three, the paternal grandfather is number four, the paternal grandmother is number five, and so forth. Ahnentafel is a German word meaning ancestor chart or ancestor table. This chart is also called a continental pedigree.

ahí

• Spanish word for "there."

ai (ay)

• French word for "I have."

aika

• Finnish word for "time, date."

aikainen

• Finnish word for "early, (A.M.)."

aikaisempi

• Finnish word for "earlier."

aikakauskirja

• Finnish word for "periodical."

aikanaan

• Finnish word for "in due time."

aina

• Finnish word for "always."

ainda

• Portuguese word for "still."

ainoa

• Finnish word for "only."

ainsi que

• French word for "as well as."

Accelerated Indexing Systems (AIS or AISI)

• A private company that published indexes to various United States censuses and other records.

aivokuume

• Finnish word for "encephalitis, inflammation of the brain."

aivotärähdys

• Finnish word for "concussion."

ajaja

• Finnish word for "coachman."

ajomies

• Finnish word for "coachman."

akatolicki

• Polish word for "non-Catholic."

aki

• Hungarian word for "who."

akt

• Polish word for "an entry in a register, record."

akta malzenstw, akta slubów

• Polish word for "marriage records."

akta urodzin

• Polish word for "birth records."

akta zapowiedzi

• Polish word for "banns records."

akta zejsc

• Polish word for "death records."

akta zgonów

• Polish word for "death records."

akte

• Dutch word for "certificate, deed, license."

Akten

• German word for "documents."

akur

• Icelandic word for "field."

akuszerka

• Polish word for "midwife."

ala, ali

• Finnish word for "low(er), under."

Alabama Territory, USA

• A territory established in 1817 that covered all of present-day Alabama.

alacsony

   Hungarian word for "short."

alaikäinen

   Finnish word for "minor, underaged."

alapos

   Hungarian word for "thorough."

alatt

   Hungarian word for "under, before, during."

albacea

   Spanish word for "executor of estate."

Albarazado

• A term used in Catholic church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate

albañil

   Spanish word for "stonemason."

albei

   Afrikaans word for "both."

albergatore

   Italian word for "innkeeper."

albero genealogico

   Italian word for "pedigree."ays accurate.

Albino

• A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is African and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

albo

   Polish word for "or."

albus

   Latin word for "white."

American Lutheran Church Archives (ALC Archives)

   The central archives of the American Lutheran Church.

alcalde

   Spanish word for "mayor."

Alcalde Ordinario, New Mexico

• A Spanish term referring to a mayor's court that handled civil and criminal cases in what is now the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

alcunha

   Portuguese word for "name."

alcuni, -e

   Italian word for "some."

alcuno, -a

   Italian word for "any, some."

aldea

   Spanish word for "village."

alder

   Danish and Norwegian word for "age."

alderdomssvaghed

   Danish word for "weakness from old age."

alderdomssvakhet

   Norwegian word for "weakness of old age."

Alderman's court

• A court created in 1851 by the Provisional State of Deseret. No records for this court appear to exist.

aldri

   Danish and Norwegian word for "never."

aldrig

   Swedish word for "never."

aldur

   Icelandic word for "age."

ale

   Polish and Czech word for "but."

alemannus

   Latin word for "German."

alemán (a)

   Spanish word for "German."

alemão (a)

   Portuguese word for "German."

Aleuts

   The native people who have traditionally lived on the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska. The Aleuts call themselves Unangan, meaning "we the people." Though they are descended from the Eskimos, the Aleuts speak a different language.

alfaiate

   Portuguese word for "tailor."

alfarero

   Spanish word for "potter."

Algerie

   French word for "Algeria."

algodão

   Portuguese word for "cotton."

algodón

   Spanish word for "cotton."

algum (a)

   Portuguese word for "some."

algún (o, a)

   Spanish word for "some, someone."

alhier

   Dutch word for "here, at this place, locally."

ali

   Portuguese word for "there."

Alias surname

• A second surname that a person adopts. This was a common practice in Germany. In German records, aliases may be preceded by the word genannt, vulgo, modo, sive, or alias. A few people in France, mostly sailors or soldiers, also took alias surnames. These were preceded by the word dit, meaning so-called.

alias, Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "alias, known as, otherwise."

alias, Italian

   Italian word for "alias, also known as."

alias, Latin

   Latin word for "also, otherwise, or, at, another, called."

alibi

   Latin word for "elsewhere, at another time."

Alien crew list, USA

• A list of aliens employed on United States vessels as members of the crew.

Alien's declaration, Canada

• A type of Canadian naturalization record in which aliens declare their intent to become Canadian citizens.

Alien's intention

• The first legal document an alien files when he or she wishes to become a citizen of the United States. Filing this form signifies that the alien intends to become a citizen and will renounce all allegiance to other governments. The alien's intention is sometimes called a declaration of intention or first papers.

Aliens’ register

• A document created during the Report and Registry process that listed all immigrants who reported to a local court to register their arrival in the United States.

alité

   French word for "bedridden."

aliud (alius)

   Latin word for "other, another."

all'uopo

   Italian word for "to this end."

alla

   Finnish word for "under."

alla nascita

   Italian word for "time of birth."

alla, allt

   Swedish word for "all."

alle

   Danish, German, and Norwegian word for "all."

alle ore

   Italian word for "at the hour."

alle ore sedici

   Italian word for "at the sixteenth hour (4:00 p.m.)."

alle, Dutch

   Dutch word for "all, every."

alleen, Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "alone, single."

alleen, Dutch

   Dutch word for "alone, single, only."

allegati

   Italian word for "supplements."

Allegheny Mountains (Alleghenies)

   The mountain range that runs from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian mountain range that extends from Maine to Alabama.

Allegheny Mountains (Alleghenies)

   The mountain range that runs from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian mountain range that extends from Maine to Alabama.

allekirjoittanut

   Finnish word for "undersigned."

Allemand(e)

   French word for "German."

allemania

   Latin word for "Germany."

Allen County Public Library

• A public library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This library has an excellent collection of materials about the Midwest, Indiana, and the United States. The Allen County Public Library also publishes the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), an index to genealogical periodicals.

alles

   Afrikaans word for "all, everything."

allevatore

   Italian word for "animal feeder."

allhier

   German word for "in this place."

alliance

   French word for "marriage."

Allí te estás

• A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian, African, and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

allora

   Italian word for "then."

Allowance docket

• A list of court-ordered payments.

alltid

   Norwegian and Swedish word for "always."

allá

   Spanish word for "there."

allí

   Spanish word for "there."

alma, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "soul, person."

alma, Spanish

   Spanish word for "soul, inhabitant."

almeno

   Italian word for "at least."

almisse

   Danish and Norwegian word for "charity."

almisselem

   Norwegian word for "indigent, poor."

alquiler, renta

   Spanish word for "rent."

Alsace Emigration Index

• An index of people who emigrated from or through Elsaß-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine) between 1817 and 1866. About half of the people mentioned in this index are French. The others are mostly Swiss and German.

Alsace-Lorraine

• Two regions in modern-day France that are located along the German border. Germany won these two regions in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian war. (The German term for the region is Elsaß-Lothringen.) France regained these two regions in 1919 with the Peace of Versailles.

Alsacien(ne)

   French word for "Alsatian."

Alsatian

• A person from the Alsace region of France. Since many Alsatians spoke more German than French, they were often called Germans when they emigrated to other countries. Many Alsatians emigrated to Russia between 1763 and World War I. Beginning in 1874 many of these Russian Alsatians moved to the United States, Canada, and South America. In 1722 the Holy Roman emperors and Austro-Hungarian monarchs encouraged Alsatians and Germans to settle in their lands, especially on the border devastated by the Turks. Colonies developed in what became Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. After World War II, many people of Alsatian descent moved to the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other nations.

alsó

   Hungarian word for "lower."

alt-katholisch

   German word for "old Catholic."

alt, Danish

   Danish word for "all."

alt, German

   German word for "old."

altare

   Latin word for "altar."

Altbürger

   German word for "full citizen."

Alter, German

   German word for "age."

alter, Latin

   Latin word for "the next, the other."

altera die

   Latin word for "on the next day."

altergang

   Norwegian word for "Communion."

Altersschwäche

   German word for "weakness of old age."

altid

   Danish word for "always."

altijd, steeds

   Dutch word for "always."

alto (a), Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "high."

alto, Italian

   Italian word for "high."

altre volte

   Italian word for "formerly."

altresì

   Italian word for "also, too."

altro

   Italian word for "other, else."

altura

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "height."

altyd

   Afrikaans word for "always."

alue

   Finnish word for "region, district."

aluguél

   Portuguese word for "rent."

alulirott

   Hungarian word for "undersigned."

Alumni directory

• A list of the names and addresses of people who graduated from a school, university, or other educational facility.

alus

   Finnish word for "ship."

alutarius

   Latin word for "tanner."

aláirás

   Hungarian word for "signature."

além

   Portuguese word for "beyond."

amanhã

   Portuguese word for "tomorrow."

amanuense

   Spanish word for "scribe, clerk."

amarelo (a)

   Portuguese word for "yellow."

amarillo (a)

   Spanish word for "yellow."

ambagsman

   Afrikaans word for "artisan, tradesman, workman."

ambedue

   Italian word for "both."

ambo

   Latin word for "both, two together."

ambos (as)

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "both."

ambt

   Dutch word for "office."

ambtenaar

   Dutch word for "official, registrar, civil servant, clerk."

American

• A person from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America). It can also refer to a person from the United States.

American Civil War (1861-1865)

• The war with the highest casualty rate in the history of the United States. It divided the United States into two factions. The Union was composed of northern states who supported maintaining the power of the federal government and abolishing slavery. The Confederacy was composed of southern states who believed in maintaining more power at the state level and preserving slavery. Also called the War between the States and the War of Secession.

American Genealogical Biographical Index

• A source containing over 12 million brief citations of individuals and families, mainly from New England, who are mentioned in manuscripts, periodicals, family histories, town and county histories, and published military records.

American Indians

• The original inhabitants of North and South America. Also called Native Americans. In Canada the original inhabitants, Native Americans and Inuit (Eskimos), are often referred to as First Peoples or First Nations.

American Loyalist

• An American colonist who remained loyal to the King of England during the Revolutionary War. Many Loyalists moved to Florida, the Caribbean Islands (including Cuba), Canada, or back to England after the Revolutionary War.

American Lutheran Church Archives

• The central archives of the American Lutheran Church.

American State Papers, Land Grants and Claims

• A published collection of about 80,000 diverse land claims, such as claims for state, Indian, and militia bounty lands. It does not contain information about land granted to war veterans.

ami(e)

   French word for "friend."

amico, -a

   Italian word for "friend."

amigo (a)

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "friend."

Amish

• Members of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church who followed the strict teachings of Jakob Ammann and broke from the Swiss Mennonites in the late 1600s. Many began migrating to America in 1720 and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The "old order" followed strict practices that included severely plain dress and the shunning of electricity and telephones. After 1850 many "new-order" groups broke off to follow more modern practices. Today the largest old-order settlements are in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.

amita

   Latin word for "aunt, father's sister."

amitinus

   Latin word for "cousin, (child of father's sister)."

amma

   Icelandic word for "grandmother."

Amman

   German word for "bailiff, magistrate."

ammatti

   Finnish word for "profession, occupation."

amministratore

   Italian word for "steward, manager."

amministrazione

   Italian word for "administration."

amo

   Spanish word for "master, owner."

amogliato

   Italian word for "took a wife."

amonestaciones

   Spanish word for "marriage banns."

amptenaar

   Afrikaans word for "official."

Amt

• The Danish word for county.
• German word for "office, district"
• Norwegian word for "county"

amtmand

   Danish word for "chief county administrator."

amtmann

   Norwegian word for "chief county administrator."

Amtsgericht, Germany

• A local court in Germany.

an (année)

   French word for "year."

Anabaptist

• A religious movement that developed in Zurich, Switzerland, during the 16th century under the influence of Huldrych Zwingli. The Anabaptists, whose name means "rebaptizer," believed that infant baptism was blasphemous because people could not be punished for sin until they had developed an awareness of good and evil. Hence, though it was illegal, many Anabaptists were baptized a second time as adults. Anabaptists also believed in a separation of church and state, opposed war, and refused to swear oaths. The Mennonite and Amish faiths developed from the Anabaptist movement.

anabaptiste

   French word for "Mennonite."

Anbauer

   German word for "peasant."

Ancestor

• An individual from whom one is descended.

Ancestor passport, Germany

• A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified in civil registration records. The German word for this type of record is Ahnenpaß.

ancestral

   Portuguese word for "ancestor."

Ancestral File™

• A computer file containing names and often other vital information (such as date and place of birth, marriage, or death) of millions of individuals who have lived throughout the world. Names are organized into family groups and pedigrees. To allow for coordination of research, the file also lists names and addresses of those who contributed to the file. Ancestral File™ is part of FamilySearch®.

Ancestral File™ number

• A number used to identify each record in Ancestral File.

anche

   Italian word for "also."

anciano (a)

   Spanish word for "elderly."

ancilla

   Latin word for "female servant."

ancillus

   Latin word for "male servant."

ancora

   Italian word for "yet, still."

andarteppa

   Icelandic word for "croup."

andast

   Icelandic word for "die."

andaður, andaðir (plural)

   Icelandic word "deceased (male), dead."

andedictus

   Latin word for "aforesaid."

anden

   Danish word for "second."

anden gang

   Danish word for "second time."

anden, andet

   Danish word for "second, another."

ander(s), Afrikaans

   Afrikaans word for "different, other(s)."

ander(s), Dutch

   Dutch word for "other."

andere

   German word for "other, next."

anders genoem

   Afrikaans word for "alias, also known as, differently called."

anders genoemd

   Dutch word for "alias, also known as."

andiamo

   Italian word for "right away, immediately."

andlega vanheill

   Icelandic word for "mentally deficient, weak-minded."

andra

   Swedish word for "second, others."

andre, Danish

   Danish word for "others."

andre, French

   French word for "others, other, next."

Andrea Leonardo Collection

• A collection of research files about South Carolina families.

andtäppa

   Swedish word for "shortness of breath, asthma."

andvana fæddur

   Icelandic word for "stillborn child."

anetavle, Danish

   Danish word for "pedigree."

anetavle, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "pedigree chart."

anfald

   Danish word for "seizures."

anfall, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "seizure, attack."

anfall, Swedish

   Swedish word for "seizure(s)."

anførelse

   Danish word for "statement, quotation."

anført

   Danish word for "entered, mentioned."

anførte

   Norwegian word for "entered, mentioned."

Angeber

   German word for "informant."

angeblich

   German word for "alleged, assumed."

angiven

   Swedish word for "given, stated."

anglais(e)

   French word for "English."

anglia

   Latin word for "England."

Anglican Church

• A group of churches that are part of the Anglican Communion, which developed from the Church of England. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the United States are also members of the Anglican Communion. Anglican beliefs are based on the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and follow the Book of Common Prayer, which outlines doctrine, discipline, and worship. National churches can revise the Book of Common Prayer to suit the needs of members in the country.

Anglican Communion

• An international group of loosely organized, self-governing churches whose doctrines and practices are based on the Church of England. The major churches in the communion are the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Anglo-American

• An English-speaking person of European descent who is living in the United States.

angol

   Hungarian word for "English."

Angola

• A term used in Brazilian Catholic Church registers to describe an African from Angola. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

ani

   Czech word for "not even."

anima

   Latin word for "soul, spirit." Animam reddidit domino suo means "he/she returned the soul to his/her Lord (died)."

anime

   Italian word for "parish census."

aniversario, Spanish

   Spanish word for "anniversary."

aniversário, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "anniversary, birthday."

anjo

   Portuguese word for "angel, deceased child."

ankom

   Swedish word for "came, arrived."

ankomst

   Danish and Norwegian word for "arrival."

anmerkning

   Norwegian word for "remark, notice, note."

Anmerkungen

   German word for "remarks."

anmärkningar

   Swedish word for "remarks, annotations."

anmærkning

   Danish word for "remark, notice, note."

annan

   Swedish word for "other."

annar

   Icelandic word for "second."

Anne Lea Nicholson Collection

• A collection of documented family group records prepared by Anne Lea Nicholson. It is one of the first sources that should be checked for families from Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Camden, and Cumberland counties in New Jersey and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania.

annegato

   Italian word for "drowned."

annen gang

   Norwegian word for "second time."

annen, annet

   Norwegian word for "second, another."

annettu

   Finnish word for "given."

Annexed

   "Attached, attached to." For example: The United States annexed Texas in 1845.

anni

   Italian word for "years."

anniversaire

   French word for "anniversary."

anniversario

   Italian word for "anniversary."

anno

   Italian and Norwegian word for "year."

anno (Latin)

   Danish word for "year."

anno domini

   Latin word for "in the year of (our) Lord."

anno incarnationis

   Latin word for "in the year (since/of) the incarnation (of the Lord)."

anno, Latin

   Latin word for "in the year (of)."

annonsere

   Norwegian word for "publish, announce."

annotazioni

   Italian word for "annotations."

annuaire

   French word for "directory."

Annual report

• A report completed by stake, ward, branch, or mission clerks in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (The annual report from a branch may have been completed separately or as part of a mission report.) It lists the blessings, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, ordinations, missionary service, and divorces that occur in a stake, ward, branch, or mission during a given year. These reports were used from 1907 into the 1970s. In the United States and Canada, they were used until 1976. Also called Form E or Form 42FP.

Annual return

• A yearly report made by the administrator or executor of an estate to a probate court.

annuale

   Italian word for "annual, yearly."

Annuals Index

• One of two indexes that comprise the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). The Annuals Index is a subject index to articles that appeared in genealogical periodicals published in 1986 or later. This index is also on microfiche at the Family History Library™ (FHL fiche 6016864).

annuel

   French word for "annual, yearly."

Annuity payment

   A record that documents the payment of an annuity, which is a payment that is made annually or regularly at another interval.

annus

   Latin word for "year."

annus bissextus

   Latin word for "leap year."

ano, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "year."

anoppi

   Finnish word for "mother-in-law."

Anspänner

   German word for "farmer."

antal

   Danish word for "number, count."

antall

   Norwegian word for "number, count."

antavla

   Swedish word for "pedigree chart."

ante

   Latin word for "before, in front of, prior to."

ante meridiane

   Italian word for "before noon."

ante meridiem

   Latin word for "before noon (A.M.)."

antenato, -i

   Italian word for "ancestor(s)."

antepasado (a)

   Spanish word for "ancestor."

antepassado (a)

   Portuguese word for "ancestor."

anterior

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "former, previous."

antes

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "before."

Anti-Burghers Church, Scotland

• A church that formed out of the Secession Church in 1745. The Anti-Burghers believed that communion should be withheld from people who took the Burgess Oath, which contained a clause that the Anti-Burghers believed gave approval to the Established Church. In 1820 the Burghers and Anti-Burghers reunited.

antigo (a)

   Portuguese word for "old, ancient."

antiguo (a)

   Spanish word for "old, ancient."

antiquus

   Latin word for "old, senior."

Antirent movement, New York

• A movement that began in 1839 when tenant farmers in New York revolted against the manorial (leasehold) system and the wealthy landowners who had inherited their land from ancestors who lived in the 1600s and 1700s. The tenant farmers had lived on the land for generations and felt that they rightfully owned it. Many farmers had not paid their rent for years, and in 1839 landowners tried to collect back rent. However, angry farmers, disguised as Native Americans, began terrorizing the landowners and county officials in Columbia and Delaware Counties. The farmers formed secret societies that became powerful enough to defeat any political party that opposed them. In 1846 the antirenters had the New York constitution amended in their favor, and the farms were handed over to the tenants in 1847, marking the end of the patroonship system in New York.

anual

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "annual."

anuario, Spanish

   Spanish word for "yearbook."

anuário, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "yearbook."

anya

   Hungarian word for "mother."

anyakönyv

   Hungarian word for "register of births, marriages, and deaths; church book; parish register."

anyós

   Hungarian word for "mother-in-law."

anzidetta

   Italian word for "aforesaid."

anzitutto

   Italian word for "first of all, initially."

ao

   Portuguese word for "to the (masculine)."

août

   French word for "August."

apa

   Hungarian word for "father."

Apache Indians

   A group of Native American tribes of the southwestern United States.

aparecer

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "to appear."

apelido

   Portuguese word for "name, nickname."

apellido

   Spanish word for "surname."

apenas

   Portuguese word for "only."

aphotækar

   Icelandic word for "pharmacist."

apodo

   Spanish word for "nickname."

apoplexia

   Latin word for "stroke."

aposentado (a)

   Portuguese word for "retired."

aposentadoria

   Portuguese word for "retirement."

Apostolies

   Afrikaans word for "Apostolic."

apostolisch

   German and Dutch word for "Apostolic."

apostólico (a)

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "apostolic."

appartenenza religiosa

   Italian word for "religious affiliation."

appartiene

   Italian word for "pertains."

apparu

   French word for "appeared."

Appearance docket

• A book containing minutes or abstracts of court appearances.

Appellate jurisdiction

• The authority of a court to review and revise decisions made by lower courts.

appelé(e)

   French word for "named."

appena

   Italian word for "as soon as."

appi

   Finnish word for "father-in-law."

appivanhemmat

   Finnish word for "parents-in-law."

Application, land

• A formal, written request submitted by an individual seeking a land grant.

Application, organization

• A formal, written request to become a member of an organization.

Applications for Passage Warrants (Series L), Canada

• A list of the names of immigrants in Ontario, Canada, whose passage was paid by sponsors.

Appointment to public office

• The act of assigning, as opposed to electing, an individual to serve in a government position.

Appraisal

• The process of determining the value of property, such as a deceased individual’s estate or a document stating the value of property.

Appraisement

• The estimated value of property.

Appraiser

• An individual who determines the value of property. When determining the value of a deceased individual's estate, appraisers use an inventory to estimate the estate's value.

apprendista

   Italian word for "apprentice."

apprenti

   French word for "apprentice."

Apprentice

• An individual, usually a child, who was legally bound to the master of a trade to work for the master and learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.

Apprentice indenture

   A record that documents an agreement between a master and an apprentice or the apprentice's legal guardian.

Apprentice record

   Documentation about an apprenticeship, which was a legal arrangement in which an individual, usually a child, worked for the master of a trade to learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.

Apprenticeship tax, Britain

• A tax assessed on the money a master received for an apprenticeship indenture. This tax was assessed from 1710 to 1811. Apprentices put out by a parish or charity were exempt from the tax.

appresso

   Italian word for "after, the next."

approuvé

   French word for "approved."

aprendiz

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "apprentice."

april

   Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "April."

April

   Dutch and German word for "April."

April, Afrikaans (IV)

   Afrikaans word for "April."

aprile

   Italian word for "April."

aprilis

   Latin word for "of April."

aproximado (a),, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "approximate."

aproximado (a), Spanish

   Spanish word for "approximate."

après

   French word for "after."

après-demain

   French word for "the day after tomorrow."

après-midi

   French word for "afternoon."

apríl

   Icelandic word for "April."

apteekkari

   Finnish word for "pharmacist, druggist."

apud

   Latin word for "at the house of, at, by, near."

apéndice, Spanish

   Spanish word for "appendix."

apêndice, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "appendix."

após, Hungarian

   Hungarian word for "father-in-law."

após, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "after."

apótekari

   Icelandic word for "pharmacy."

aqua

   Latin word for "water."

aquel (la)

   Spanish word for "that."

aquele (a),

   Portuguese word for "that."

aquí

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "here."

araldica

   Italian word for "heraldry."

Arapaho Indians

   A tribe of Native Americans living in the Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Texas.

aratore

   Italian word for "plowman."

arbeider

   Afrikaans, Dutch and Norwegian word for "laborer."

Arbeiter

   German word for "laborer, worker."

arbejder

   Danish word for "laborer."

arbetare

   Swedish word for "worker, laborer."

arbre généalogique

   French word for "family tree, pedigree."

Archaic word

• A word that is no longer used or that has a meaning that has changed substantially over time.

Archdeacon's court, Church of England

• An English ecclesiastical court with jurisdiction over an archdeaconry. These courts frequently handled probates.

Archdeaconry

• An ecclesiastical division within a diocese that is headed by an archdeacon. It may consist of one or more rural deaneries.

Archdeacons' transcripts

   Copies of parish registers sent by Church of England parish ministers to their archdeacons each year. An archdeacon was the church official over an archdeaconry, which was part of a diocese. An archdeacon was under the authority of the Bishop of the diocese.

Archdiocese

   An ecclesiastical division that is headed by an archbishop.

archidiaconus

   Latin word for "archdeacon."

archief

   Dutch word for "archive."

archiepiscopus

   Latin word for "archbishop."

Archiv

   German word for "archive."

Archival quality

   Acid-free folders, acid-free boxes, and archival-safe plastic sleeves made of polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene are archival quality and the only safe way to store documents and photographs.

Archive

• A place where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents. Also used in the plural.

Archive Section of the Family Group Records Collection

• A portion of the Family Group Records Collection that contains five million family group records submitted by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1942 and 1969. Information from these records has been added to the International Genealogical Index®.

archives

   French word for "archive."

Archives and Libraries, Family History Library Catalog™

• A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize information about other archives (places where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents) and libraries (places that contains books, manuscripts, music, art, and other reference materials).

Archives du Royaume

   French word for "state archives (Belgium)."

Archives départementales, France

• The French term for departmental archive. These archives collect records for a department of the French government. Departmental archives have most of the French records of genealogical value, including civil registration records, pre-1792 church records, census records, some notarial records, and military conscription records.

Archives Nationales

   French word for "state archives (France)".

archivi

   Italian word for "archives."

archivi di stato

   Italian word for "state archives."

archivo

   Spanish word for "archive."

archivum

   Latin word for "archive."

archiwum

   Polish word for "archive."

archív

   Czech word for "archive."

arcularius

   Latin word for "carpenter."

Julia Hoge Spencer Ardery Collection (Ardery collection)

   A collection of abstracted court records, deeds, family Bibles, family histories, and correspondence about families from Kentucky and Virginia.

argief

   Afrikaans word for "archive."

Arid

   Dry, lacking in water, a desert.

Arizona Territory, USA

• A territory organized in 1863 that comprised the present-day state of Arizona and part of Nevada. Many of the settlers in the area were from Confederate states, so in 1862 they applied to become a Confederate territory. The Confederate government sent troops to occupy New Mexico and Arizona and granted the request of the settlers. This action had little effect because Union forces defeated Confederate forces in New Mexico and Arizona. The United States Congress created the Arizona Territory in 1863 to retain control over the area.

Ark

• One of the two ships that brought Catholic and Protestant English settlers to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in 1634. The other ship was named the Dove. The settlers founded St. Mary's City. King Charles I had originally granted the Maryland region to George Calvert, who died before the king could sign the charter, so the king granted the charter to Calvert's son Cecelius. Cecelius, himself a Roman Catholic, believed in religious freedom and saw to it that law and policies were established to guarantee that right in Maryland.

arkisto

   Finnish word for "archive."

arkistoluettelo

   Finnish word for "archive list."

arkiv

   Danish and Swedish word for "archive."

arm

   German word for "poor."

arma

   Latin word for "coat of arms."

armentarius

   Latin word for "herdsman."

armiger

   Latin word for "gentleman, squire."

Armiger

• A person entitled to use a coat of arms.

armoiries

   French word for "coat of arms."

Armorial

• An alphabetical list of people entitled to use a coat of arms. The armorial also describes the coat of arms. The term armorial can also refer to anything having to do with heraldry.

armorum

   Latin word for "of coats of arms."

Armut

   German word for "poverty."

Army

• The branch of a nation's armed forces that is trained to fight on land.

Aroostook War (Maine)

   A dispute in 1839 about the boundary between the state of Maine and what is now the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Troops were called out, but there was no battle. The boundary was finally settled by a treaty between the United States and Britain in 1842.

arpent

   French word for "acre."

arpenteur

   French word for "surveyor."

arpète

   French word for "errand boy, apprentice."

arquibispo

   Portuguese word for "archbishop."

arquivo

   Portuguese word for "archive."

arrendamiento

   Spanish word for "rent."

arrendator

   Swedish word for "tenant farmer, leaseholder."

arrivo

   Italian word for "arrival, immigration."

arrière

   French word for "great (as in great-grandparents)."

Arrondissement

   An administrative division of some large cities in France or the largest division of a department in the French government.

arroz

   Portuguese word for "rice."

artefice

   Italian word for "maker."

Article, periodicals

• A written work in a magazine or newspaper.

Artifact

• An object. In terms of family history research, an artifact is an item that provides information about an ancestor’s life, such as tools, books, or jewelry.

Artificer

• A mechanic in the British military who makes and repairs machinery.

arton

   Swedish word for "eighteen."

artífice

   Portuguese word for "journeyman."

arv

   Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "inheritance."

arve

   Danish word for "inherit."

arvelodd

   Norwegian word for "share of inheritance."

arving

   Norwegian word for "heir."

arvinge

   Swedish word for "heir."

arvo

   Finnish word for "title, rank, status."

arvskifte

   Swedish word for "distribution of an inherited estate."

arzobispo

   Spanish word for "archbishop."

Arzt

   German word for "physician."

As Enumerated, 1881 British Census

• An index of the 1881 British census that is organized in the same order as the original census. It can help identify households and neighbors living on the same street.

ascendente

   Portuguese word for "ancestor."

ascendiente

   Spanish word for "ancestor."

ascesso

   Italian word for "abscess."

ASCII

• A type of data format for computers. ASCII contains a specified set of letters, numbers, characters, and spaces.

asema

   Finnish word for "station, class, standing."

asevelvollinen

   Finnish word for "conscript soldier."

asi

   Czech word for "perhaps, about, maybe, circa."

asiakirja

   Finnish word for "document, record."

asilo, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "asylum, poorhouse."

asilo, Spanish

   Spanish word for "asylum, shelter."

asma

   Afrikaans, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish word for "asthma."

asmi

   Icelandic word for "asthma."

Assembly of God

• The largest Pentecostal religion in the world. Its official name is the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Pentecostalism grew out of the religious revival of the early 1900s. Its doctrines include the infallibility of the Bible, the fall and redemption of man, divine healing through prayer, baptism by immersion, eternal punishment for the unsaved, and the return of Christ to rule on earth. Pentecostals believe that every Christian should be filled with the Holy Spirit.

assento

   Portuguese word for "record, entry."

Assessment roll

• A list of property owners, the value of their property, and the amount in taxes each owner owes.

assessore comunale

   Italian word for "alderman."

assinatura

   Portuguese word for "signature."

Assistant surgeon, British

• An officer in the British army who helps the surgeon (doctor).

Assisted emigrant

• Between 1815 and 1900, qualified emigrants received passage money or land grants in their destination country as an alternative to receiving poor relief. After 1840, New Zealand and Australia offered money or land grants to skilled workers to encourage immigration.

Assisted emigrants register

• A record of people who applied for assistance to emigrate to a new country.

Assize court, England

• A court in England that deals with more serious criminal cases. It existed from the 1200s to 1971 and consisted of twelve judges appointed by the Crown.

Association

• An organization of people who have common interests or goals.

Association of Professional Genealogists

• An organization for professional genealogists.

asszony, Hungarian

   Hungarian word for "married woman, wife."

astma

   Norwegian word for "asthma."

asua

   Finnish word for "live, reside."

asuinpaikka

   Finnish word for "place of residence."

asukas

   Finnish word for "inhabitant, resident, lodger."

asunto

   Finnish word for "residence."

asutuksen yleisluettelo

   Finnish word for "general register of inhabitants."

asystencya

   Polish word for "assistance."

aszkór

   Hungarian word for "dehydration."

asztalos

   Hungarian word for "cabinet maker; joiner; woodworker."

asztma

   Hungarian word for "asthma."

at, Latin

   Latin word for "but."

at, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "that."

ata

   Portuguese word for "record, document."

atd.

   Czech word for "and so forth."

Atlantic provinces, Canada

• A grouping of Canadian provinces consisting of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Atlas

• A book or computerized collection of geographical maps and charts.

atque

   Latin word for "and."

atrás

   Portuguese word for "behind, in back of."

att

   Swedish word for "that (know that he died)."

attacco

   Italian word for "seizure."

Attained

   Achieved, reached a goal, as in Hawaii attained statehood.

attaque

   French word for "seizure."

atten

   Danish and Norwegian word for "eighteen."

attende

   Danish and Norwegian word for "eighteenth."

attesa

   Italian word for "awaiting."

attest

   Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "certificate."

atti diversi

   Italian word for "miscellaneous records."

atto di matrimonio

   Italian word for "marriage certificate."

atto di morte

   Italian word for "death certificate."

atto di nascita

   Italian word for "birth certificate."

atya

   Hungarian word for "father."

au

   French word for "at the, in the."

au dessus

   French word for "over."

au matin

   French word for "in the morning."

au même endroit

   French word for "at the same place."

au soir

   French word for "in the evening."

aubergiste

   French word for "innkeeper."

auch

   German word for "also, too."

aucun(e)

   French word for "no, none."

Audencia, New Mexico

• A Spanish term referring to a Mexican court of appeal that handled civil and criminal court cases in what is not the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

Audiencia

• A regional court that functioned under a Spanish viceroyalty. These courts had legal, financial, and administrative powers. They supervised local courts, applied Spanish law, and served to establish a legal tradition that has persisted in Hispanic America.

Auditor's books

• Books containing information about personal payments for provisions, sewing, nursing, and wagon use during the Revolutionary War. The records cover from 1784 to 1800.

auf

   German word for "on, upon, at."

aufbieten

   German word for "post banns."

Aufenthaltserlaubnis

   German word for "residence permit."

Aufenthaltsort

   German word for "residence."

Aufgebote, Germany

• A German word for marriage banns or proclamations.

auglýsing

   Icelandic word for "proclamation."

august

   Danish and Norwegian word for "August."

August, German

   German word for "August."

augusti

   Latin and Swedish word for "of August."

Augustus

   Dutch and Latin word for "August."

Augustus, Afrikaans (VIII)

   Afrikaans word for "August."

augusztus

   Hungarian word for "August."

aujourd'hui

   French word for "today."

aukko

   Finnish word for "gap (missing records)."

auparavant

   French word for "former."

aurifaber

   Latin word for "goldsmith."

auriga

   Latin word for "driver."

aus

   German word for "from, out of."

aussi

   French word for "also, as, since."

austriacki

   Polish word for "Austrian."

austriaco

   Italian word for "Austrian."

Auswanderer

   German word for "emigrant."

Auswanderung

   German word for "emigration."

Auszehrung

   German word for "consumption or emaciation (especially from TB)."

Auszug

   German word for "extract."

aut

   Latin word for "or."

autant

   French word for "as much."

autem

   Latin word for "but, however, moreover."

Author/Title Search

• A type of search available in the microfiche version of the Family History Library Catalog™. Records are listed alphabetically by author and title. This search is not available in the computer version of the catalog.

Authority

• The right and power to make decisions, take action, enforce law, or influence others.

autio

   Finnish word for "uninhabited."

auto de fé, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "trial of faith, sentence handed down by the Inquisition."

auto de fé, Spanish

   Spanish word for "sentence given by the Inquisition."

autorisation

   French word for "permission."

autour

   French word for "around."

autre

   French word for "other."

auxentium

   Latin word for "Alsace."

außen

   German word for "outside."

außer Dienst (a.D.)

   German word for "formerly employed, retired."

außerehelich

   German word for "illegitimate."

av, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "of, at, by, from."

av, Swedish

   Swedish word for "of."

ava

   Latin word for "grandmother."

ava materna

   Italian word for "maternal grandmother."

ava paterna

   Italian word for "paternal grandmother."

avant

   French word for "former, before."

avant-hier

   French word for "the day before yesterday."

avant-veille

   French word for "two days before."

avanti di

   Italian word for "before."

avdeling

   Norwegian word for "part, division."

avdød

   Norwegian word for "deceased."

avec

   French word for "with."

avere

   Italian word for "to have."

Aveux

   A French word for oaths. The term aveux et dénombrements refers to a specific type of land record used in Québec.

Aveux et dénombrements, Canada

• A type of land record used in the mid-1700s in Québec, Canada, roughly translated as "land descriptions" or "censuses of land and inhabitants." The aveux et dénombrements list the name of the principal habitant (occupant) of each farm in each seigneurie (manor) but not family members or farm workers. The information required in this record was very precise and included the exact location of the land, its size, the streams that flowed through it, the number and condition of buildings and mills on the lands, the number of tenants and the rents they paid, and the acres of cultivable land.

avgangen

   Norwegian word for "departed."

avgift, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "duty (monetary), fee."

avgift, Swedish

   Swedish word for "fee."

avgång

   Swedish word for "departure."

avgått

   Swedish word for "moved."

avgått med döden

   Swedish word for "died (departed through death)."

avi, Italian

   Italian word for "ancestors."

avi, Latin

   Latin word for "ancestors, grandparents."

avia

   Latin word for "grandmother."

aviaticus

   Latin word for "nephew."

avioero

   Finnish word for "divorce."

avioliiton ulkopuolella (a.u.)

   Finnish word for "illegitimate, out of wedlock."

avioliitto

   Finnish word for "marriage."

avioliittoasiakirjat

   Finnish word for "marriage documents."

aviomies

   Finnish word for "husband."

avionrikkoja

   Finnish word for "adulterer."

aviopari

   Finnish word for "married couple."

aviopuoliso

   Finnish word for "spouse."

avioton

   Finnish word for "unmarried, illegitimate."

aviovaimo

   Finnish word for "wife."

avkom

   Norwegian word for "offspring, issue."

avliden

   Swedish word for "deceased, death."

avo materno

   Italian word for "maternal grandfather."

avo paterno

   Italian word for "paternal grandfather."

avo, Italian

   Italian word for "ancestor."

Avocat

• A French term for lawyer.

avoir

   French word for "to have."

avond ('s avonds)

   Dutch word for "evening, (in the evening)."

Avondmaal

   Dutch word for "communion, sacrament."

avons

   French word for "(we) have."

avoro, -a

   Italian word for "grandfather (grandmother)."

avril

   French word for "April."

avskedad

   Swedish word for "discharged, resigned."

avsomna

   Swedish word for "die, death."

avtale

   Norwegian word for "agreement."

avunculus

   Latin word for "uncle (mother's brother)."

avus

   Latin word for "grandfather."

avvocato

   Italian word for "lawyer."

avó, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "grandmother."

avô, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "grandfather."

avôs

   Portuguese word for "grandparents."

Award books

• Records of land grants given to settlers in Hawaii between 1836 and 1855.

ayant

   French word for "having."

ayer

   Spanish word for "yesterday."

ayuntamiento

   Spanish word for "city hall, town government."

az

   Hungarian word for "the."

azok

   Hungarian word for "they."

azonkívül

   Hungarian word for "besides, in addition to."

azul

   Portuguese and Spanish word for "blue."

azúcar

   Spanish word for "sugar."

açúcar

   Portuguese word for "sugar."

aîné (l'aîné)

   French word for "the older, senior."

aïeul

   French word for "grandfather."

aïeule

   French word for "grandmother."

aðkominn, aðkomnir

   Icelandic word for "arrivals, guests."

año, Spanish

   Spanish word for "year."

aún

   Spanish word for "still."

à

   French word for "at, to in."

à cet endroit

   French word for "in this place."

à cinq heures

   French word for "at 5 o'clock."

à jour

   French word for "current."

à, Portuguese

   Portuguese word for "to the, toward the (feminine)."

às horas

   Portuguese word for "at o'clock."

á morgun

   Icelandic word for "tomorrow."

á, Icelandic

   Icelandic word for "on, at."

áar

   Icelandic word for "ancestors."

ács

   Hungarian word for "carpenter."

ág

   Hungarian word for "branch, line."

ágostai (ág.)

   Hungarian word for "Evangelical (Lutheran)."

ágostai (ág.)

   Hungarian word for "Evangelical (Lutheran)."

ágyból származó

   Hungarian word for "legitimacy status."

ágyrajáró

   Hungarian word for "lodger."

ágúst

   Icelandic word for "August."

ái

   Icelandic word for "ancestor."

állami

   Hungarian word for "civil, state."

állandó

   Hungarian word for "permanent."

állapot

   Hungarian word for "status, civil status, condition."

állapota

   Hungarian word for "status of."

állapotos

   Hungarian word for "pregnant."

állás

   Hungarian word for "occupation, condition."

április

   Hungarian word for "April."

ár

   Icelandic word for "year."

árbol

   Spanish word for "tree."

árbol genealógico

   Spanish word for "genealogical tree."

árva

   Hungarian word for "orphan."

árvore

   Portuguese word for "tree."

árvore genealógica

   Portuguese word for "genealogical tree."

át, Hungarian

   Hungarian word for "through."

átján

   Icelandic word for "eighteen."

átjándi

   Icelandic word for "eighteenth."

átta

   Icelandic word for "eight."

áttatíu

   Icelandic word for "eighty."

áttugasti

   Icelandic word for "eightieth."

áttundi

   Icelandic word for "eighth."

áttértek

   Hungarian word for "persons converted."

áttérés

   Hungarian word for "conversion."

âgé(e)

   French word for "aged."

äga

   Swedish word for "own."

ägare

   Swedish word for "owner."

ägor

   Swedish word for "land, property."

äidinisä

   Finnish word for "grandfather (maternal)."

äidinäiti

   Finnish word for "grandmother (maternal)."

äiditön

   Finnish word for "motherless."

äiti

   Finnish word for "mother."

äitipuoli

   Finnish word for "stepmother."

äkta

   Swedish word for "legitimate."

äktenskap

   Swedish word for "marriage."

äldre

   Swedish word for "older, elder."

äldste

   Swedish word for "oldest, eldset, elder."

ältest

   German word for "eldest."

ämbete

   Swedish word for "office."

änka

   Swedish word for "widow."

änkeman, änkling

   Swedish word for "widower."

ännu

   Swedish word for "yet, still."

äpärä

   Finnish word for "illegitimate child."

är

   Swedish word for "are, is, am."

ärlig, Swedish

   Swedish word for "honest."

ätt

   Swedish word for "family."

äußere

   German word for "outside, outward, external."

å

   Swedish word for "at, on, to, river."

åbo

   Swedish word for "tenant farmer with conditional, inherited lease."

ålder

   Swedish word for "age."

ålderdom

   Swedish word for "old age."

ånd

   Norwegian word for "spirit."

åndsvag

   Danish word for "mentally deficient."

åndsvak

   Norwegian word for "mentally deficient."

år

   Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "year."

århundrade

   Swedish word for "century."

århundre

   Norwegian word for "century."

årlig

   Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "yearly, annual."

årsak

   Norwegian word for "cause, reason."

årsdag

   Danish word for "anniversary."

årtionde

   Swedish word for "decade."

åsted

   Norwegain word for "where event took place (place of event)."

åt, Swedish

   Swedish word for "to."

återvänd

   Swedish word for "returned."

åtta

   Swedish word for "eight."

åtte

   Norwegian word for "eight."

åttende, Norwegian

   Norwegian word for "eighth."

åtti

   Norwegian word for "eighty."

åttiede

   Norwegian word for "eightieth."

åttio(nde)

   Swedish word for "eighty (eightieth)."

åttonde

   Swedish word for "eighth."

ægtabarn

   Icelandic word for "legitimate child."

ægtaviigder

   Icelandic word for "married, marriages."

ægte

   Danish word for "legitimate."

ægtefælle

   Danish word for "spouse."

ægteskab

   Danish word for "marriage."

ægteskabelig

   Danish word for "marital, conjugal."

ægteskapsbryder

   Danish word for "adulterer."

ægteviet

   Danish word for "married."

ælder

   Danish word for "elder."

ældre

   Danish word for "older, elder."

ældst

   Danish word for "oldest, eldest."

ærbødig

   Norwegian word for "respectful."

ære

   Norwegian word for "honor."

ærlig

   Danish and Norwegian word for "honest."

æsing

   Icelandic word for "inflammation, agitation."

ættegransking

   Norwegian word for "genealogy."

ættfaðir

   Icelandic word for "ancestor."

æði

   Icelandic word for "panic."

æðislegur

   Icelandic word for "in panic."

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)