French Genealogical Word List: Difference between revisions

This general word list includes words commonly seen in genealogical sources. Numbers, months, and days of the week are listed both here and in separate sections that follow this list. Words with the same spelling and meaning in English and French, such as confirmation or date, are not included in this list.  

<br>à at, to, in <br>a has <br>abjurations renunciations of Protestant faith <br>absolution absolution, last rites <br>accoucher give birth <br>accoucheuse midwife <br>à cet endroit in this place <br>acheter to buy <br>acte de baptême baptismal record <br>acte de décès death record <br>acte de naissance birth certificate, record <br>acte de sépulture burial record <br>adjoint du maire mayor’s assistant <br>adopté(e) adopted <br>adultère adulterer <br>affiché posted (on door) <br>afficher les bans post banns <br>âgé(e) aged <br>ai (ay) I have <br>aïeul grandfather <br>aïeule grandmother <br>aîné (l’aîné) the older, senior <br>ainsi que as well as <br>à jour current <br>Algerie Algeria <br>alité bedridden <br>Allemand(e) German <br>alliance marriage <br>Alsacien(ne) Alsatian <br>ami(e) friend <br>an (année) year <br>anabaptiste Mennonite <br>anglais(e) English <br>anniversaire anniversary <br>annuaire directory <br>annuel annual, yearly <br>août August <br>apparu appeared <br>appelé(e) named <br>apprenti apprentice <br>approuvé approved <br>après after <br>après-midi afternoon <br>arbre généalogique family tree, pedigree <br>archives archive <br>Archives du Royaume state archives (Belgium) <br>Archives Nationales state archives (France) <br>a reçu has received <br>armoiries coat of arms <br>arpent acre <br>arpenteur surveyor <br>arpète errand boy, apprentice <br>arrière great (as in great-grandparents) <br>arrondissement district (administrative division of a French département) <br>attaque seizure <br>au at the, in the <br>aubergiste innkeeper <br>aucun(e) no, none <br>au dessus over <br>aujourd’hui today <br>au même endroit at the same place <br>auparavant former <br>aussi also, as, since <br>autant as much <br>autorisation permission <br>autour around <br>autre other <br>avant former, before <br>avant-hier the day before yesterday <br>avec with <br>avocat attorney <br>avoir to have <br>avons (we) have <br>avril April <br>ayant having  

<br>ban (le) the territory <br>bans marriage banns, announcement(s) <br>baptême baptism <br>baptême d’urgence emergency baptism <br>baptisé baptized <br>baptisé sous condition conditionally baptized <br>Baptiste Baptist <br>bas low, lower <br>batisseur builder <br>beau-fils son-in-law, stepson <br>beau-frère brother-in-law, stepbrother <br>beau-père father-in-law, stepfather <br>bêcheur field worker <br>Belge Belgian <br>belle-fille daughter-in-law, stepdaughter <br>belle-mère mother-in-law, stepmother <br>belle-soeur sister-in-law, stepsister <br>berger shepherd <br>bien well <br>biens goods, property <br>biographie biography <br>blanc (blanche) white <br>bon (bonne) good <br>bonne maid, female servant <br>boucher butcher <br>boulanger baker <br>bourgeois citizen, member of the middle class <br>bourguignon Burgundian <br>bouvier herdsman, cowherd <br>brasseur brewer <br>brassier farmworker, laborer (old word) <br>Bretagne Brittany <br>[oncle à la mode de Bretagne] [first cousin of one’s parent] <br>briquetier brick maker <br>bru daughter-in-law <br>brumaire See “Months” <br>bureau office  

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<br>cabaretier barkeeper <br>canton administrative division of an arrondissement (in France), province (in Switzerland), township (in French Canada) <br>carte map <br>catholique romaine Roman Catholic <br>ce, c’ it <br>ce, cet, cette this, that <br>céans here within <br>cejourd’hier yesterday <br>cejourd’hui today <br>célèbre famous <br>célibataire bachelor, unmarried, single <br>celle this one, she <br>celle-ci the latter (f.) <br>celle-là the former (f.) <br>celui this one, he <br>celui-ci the latter (m.) <br>celui-là the former (m.) <br>cent hundred <br>centième hundredth <br>certificat certificate <br>ceux those <br>charbonnier charcoal burner <br>charcutier pork merchant <br>charretier cart or carriage man <br>charron cartwright, wheelwright <br>chasseur hunter <br>château castle <br>châtelain owner of a castle <br>chaudronnier cooper, barrel maker <br>chez at the home of <br>chirurgien surgeon <br>ci-dessous below here <br>ci-dessus above here <br>cimetière cemetery <br>cinq five <br>cinquante fifty <br>cinquantième fiftieth <br>cinquième fifth <br>citoyen(ne) citizen <br>clergé clergymen <br>colline hill <br>communauté community (of goods), religious community <br>commune town, commune (smallest political division in France) <br>communion communion <br>compagnon journeyman, partner <br>comparu appeared <br>comprend includes <br>comte count <br>concubine concubine <br>congestion cérébrale stroke <br>conjoint spouse, assistant <br>connaissance acquaintance <br>conseil d’état civil civil registrar’s <br>conseiller councilor <br>consentement consent <br>contenu content <br>contractant the groom (in a marriage record) <br>contractante the bride (in a marriage record) <br>contrat de mariage marriage contract <br>contre against <br>coqueluche whooping cough <br>cordier rope maker <br>cordonnier shoemaker <br>côte hill <br>couches bed, marital bed <br>[morte en couches] [died in childbirth] <br>coup de sang paralytic stroke <br>cour court <br>courant current <br>cousin(e) cousin <br>cousin(e) germain(e) first cousin <br>couvreur roofer <br>culte religion <br>cultivateur farmer, cultivator <br>curateur guardian <br>curé parish minister, pastor, priest, clergyman  

<br>d’ of <br>dame lady <br>dans in <br>de of, from, out <br>décapité decapitated <br>décédé the deceased <br>décembre December <br>décennal(e) decennial <br>décennie decade <br>décès death, deaths <br>déclarant informant <br>déclaré declared, stated <br>décrépitude old age <br>défunt(e) deceased <br>dehors outside <br>de la of the, some <br>demain tomorrow <br>demeurant living at <br>demi half <br>demi frère stepbrother, half brother <br>demi soeur stepsister, half sister <br>demoiselle Miss (of well-to-do parents, may be a married woman) <br>département department (French “county” since 1790) <br>depuis since <br>derniers sacrements last rites <br>des of the, some <br>desdits of the said (pl.) <br>dessous lower, below <br>dessus above <br>deux two <br>deuxième second <br>devant in front of <br>devenir to become <br>devoir should <br>d’hier yesterday’s <br>dictionnaire dictionary <br>dictionnaire des communes gazetteer <br>dimanche Sunday <br>dîme tithing <br>diocèse diocese <br>dispense exemption, dispensation <br>dit(e) (ditte) said, also known as, aforementioned <br>divers(e) various <br>divorcé(e) divorced <br>dix ten <br>dix-huit eighteen <br>dix-huitième eighteenth <br>dixième tenth <br>dix-neuf nineteen <br>dix-neuvième nineteenth <br>dix-sept seventeen <br>dix-septième seventeenth <br>domaine estate <br>domestique servant girl, maid <br>domicile home, residence, domicile <br>donné given <br>donner to give <br>dons donations <br>dont of whom, of which <br>double duplicate record <br>douze twelve <br>douzième twelfth <br>droguiste druggist <br>droit(e) right <br>du of the, some <br>duc duke <br>duché duchy <br>duchesse duchess <br>durant during  

<br>eaux-et-forêts waters and forests, forestry service <br>ébéniste cabinetmaker, furniture maker <br>échevin alderman, municipal magistrate <br>école school <br>écrire to write <br>écrit written, document <br>écrivain scribe, writer <br>église church <br>elle she, her <br>elles they (f.) <br>émigrant(e) emigrant <br>émigré(e) emigrant <br>empêchement prevention <br>employé(e) clerk <br>en in <br>enceinte pregnant <br>encore again <br>endroit place <br>enfant baby, child <br>enfant exposé foundling <br>enfant trouvé foundling <br>enflement swelling <br>ensemble together <br>entend intends, hears <br>enterré(e) buried <br>enterrement burial, interment <br>entre between, among <br>environ about, approximately <br>épicier grocer, spice merchant <br>épousailles wedding <br>épouse bride, wife <br>époux bridegroom, husband <br>Espagnol(e) Spanish <br>est is, east <br>et and <br>étaient were <br>était was <br>étant (estant) being <br>état state <br>état civil civil registration <br>été been, summer <br>étranger foreign, foreigner, strange <br>être to be <br>[un être] [a being] <br>évéché diocese <br>évêque bishop <br>exécuté performed <br>expédié(s) sent <br>extérieur outside <br>extrait extract  

<br>fabricant de bas maker of stockings <br>fabricant de savon maker of soap <br>facteur postman, mailman <br>facture account, bill <br>faiblesse weakness <br>fait(e) made, done <br>famille family, relative(s) <br>féminin female <br>femme wife, woman <br>ferblantier tin man, tinsmith <br>fermier farmer <br>fête holiday, feast <br>feu(e) deceased, the late <br>feuille folio, leaf, page <br>février February <br>fiançailles engagement <br>fiançé betrothed, engaged, fiancé (m.) <br>fiançée betrothed, engaged, fiancée (f.) <br>fiancer to become engaged <br>fichier card index <br>fièvre fever <br>fileuse spinster <br>fille daughter, girl <br>fille de mauvaise vie prostitute <br>fils son <br>floréal See “Months” <br>fonction duty, occupation, function <br>[faisant les fonctions] [doing the functions (occupation), serving as] <br>fonts (baptismal) font <br>forestier forester <br>forêt forest <br>forgeron smith <br>forteresse fortress <br>frais fee <br>Français(e) French <br>franc-tenancier freeholder, yeoman <br>frère brother <br>frère consanguin brother by the same father but different mother <br>frère germain brother by the same mother and father <br>frère utérin brother by the same mother but different father <br>frimaire See “Months” <br>fromager cheese merchant or maker <br>frontière border <br>fructidor See “Months” <br>funèbre funeral <br>furent were <br>fut was <br>futur fiancé, the intended groom <br>future fiancée, the intended bride