French Genealogical Word List: Difference between revisions

This list contains French words with their English translations. The words included here are those you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult a French-English dictionary. (See the "Additional Resources" section below.)  

English French <br>banns publications bans <br>baptism baptême <br>birth naissance, né, née <br>'burial 'sépulture, enterrement, enterré, inhumé, enseveli, funèbre <br>Catholic catholique romaine <br>child enfant <br>christening baptême <br>civil registry registres de l’état civil, mairie, maison communale, hôtel deville <br>death décès, mort, expiré, inanimé, défunt <br>father père <br><br>husband mari, époux, marié <br>index tables répertoire <br>Jewish juif, juive, israélite, hébreu <br>marriage mariage, alliance, unir, épouser <br>month mois, mensuel <br>mother mère <br>name, given prénom, nom de baptême <br>name, surname nom, nom de famille <br>parents parents, père et mère <br>parish paroisse, paroissiaux, paroissiale <br>Protestant protestant, réformé, huguenot, R.P.R., luthérien, calviniste <br>town, village ville, village, hameau, commune <br>wife femme, épouse, mariée <br>year an, année, annuel <br><br>GENERAL WORD LIST  

<br>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  

B  

<br>kilomètre kilometer  

L  

<br>l’ the (m. and f.) <br>la the (f.) <br>là there <br>laboureur plowman, farmer (man with team and plow) <br>lac lake <br>laisser let, leave, allow <br>laquelle which (f.) <br>le the (m.) <br>lecture reading <br>légal(e) legal <br>légitime legitimate <br>lendemain following day <br>lequel which (m.) <br>les the (plural) <br>lesquels which (plural) <br>leur their, to them <br>lieu place <br>livre book <br>livret de famille family register <br>loi law <br>lui him, to him <br>lundi Monday <br>Luxembourgeois(e) Luxembourger  

M  

<br>naissance birth <br>naturel illegitimate (not always true) <br>né(e) born <br>née maiden name <br>négociant trader, businessman <br>neuf nine <br>neuvième ninth <br>neveu nephew <br>ni neither, nor <br>nièce niece <br>nivôse See “Months” <br>noble nobleman <br>noblesse nobility <br>noces wedding <br>noir(e) black <br>nom name, surname <br>nom de famille surname, last name <br>nommé(e) named, alias <br>non not <br>nonante ninety <br>nonantième ninetieth <br>nord north <br>Norman(de) Norman <br>notaire notary <br>notes remarks <br>nôtre (nostre) our <br>nous we, us <br>nouveau, nouvelle new <br>novembre November <br>noyé(e) drowned <br>nuit night <br>numéro number <br>nuptial(e) bridal, pertaining to a wedding  

<br>O  

<br>obsèques funeral, burial <br>octante eighty <br>octantième eightieth <br>octobre October <br>oncle uncle <br>ondoyé(e) baptized provisionally <br>ont (they) have <br>onze eleven <br>onzième eleventh <br>orphelin(e) orphan <br>ou or <br>où where <br>ouest west  

<br>P  

<br>page page <br>Palatinat Palatinate, Pfalz <br>par by <br>pareil(le) same, alike, similar <br>parent parent, relative <br>paroisse parish (office) <br>parrain godfather <br>part portion, part <br>[d’une part] [on the one hand] <br>[et d’autre part] [and on the other hand] <br>pas not <br>pas encore not yet <br>passé past <br>pasteur pastor <br>pâtissier pastry maker <br>pâtre herdsman <br>pauvre indigent, poor <br>pays land, country <br>paysan(ne) small farmer, peasant <br>pêcheur fisher <br>peintre painter <br>penultième day before the last <br>percer des dents teething <br>père father <br>petit small, little <br>petite-fille granddaughter <br>petite noblesse gentry <br>petit-fils grandson <br>petit propriétaire yeoman <br>peuple citizens <br>peut-être maybe, perhaps <br>pharmacien pharmacist <br>pièces documents <br>pied terrier land record <br>place place <br>plus, en besides, in addition to <br>plus âgé(e) older, elder, oldest, eldest <br>plus vieux older, elder, oldest, eldest <br>pluviôse See “Months” <br>policier policeman <br>pont bridge <br>population population <br>porte door <br>Portugais(e) Portuguese <br>poser place, put <br>pour for <br>pourquoi why <br>prairial See “Months” <br>précédent(e) previous, preceding <br>préfet prefect (the head of a département in France) <br>premier, première first <br>prénom given (first) name <br>près de next to <br>présenté presented <br>prêtre clergyman, priest <br>preuve proof <br>principalité principality <br>prochain(e) following, next, nearest <br>proche parent close relative <br>professeur professor, teacher <br>propos de, à about, concerning <br>propriétaire owner, proprietor <br>protestant Protestant <br>provincial(e) provincial <br>Prussien(ne) Prussian <br>publié published, announced <br>publier publish  

Q  

<br>quand when <br>quarante forty <br>quarantième fortieth <br>quartier district or neighborhood in a city <br>quatorze fourteen <br>quatorzième fourteenth <br>quatre four <br>quatre-vingt-dix ninety <br>quatre-vingt-dixième ninetieth <br>quatre-vingt eighty <br>quatre-vingtième eightieth <br>quatrième fourth <br>que (qu’) what, which, that <br>qui who, whom <br>quinze fifteen <br>quinzième fifteenth <br>quoi what  

R  

<br>recensement census <br>recherche research <br>reconnu recognized, acknowledged <br>reçu(e) received <br>réformé(e) Reformed/Calvinist <br>régisseur farm manager, steward <br>registre register <br>registres d’état civil registers of births, civil marriages, and deaths <br>registres paroissiaux parish registers <br>reine queen <br>religion religion <br>religion prétendue réformé (R.P.R.) Reformed Church, Huguenot <br>rentier(e) retired person living from rents, landlord <br>répertoire register, index <br>répertoire toponymique gazetteer <br>République Française French Republic <br>retraité formerly employed, retired <br>revue periodical <br>rien nothing <br>rivière stream, river <br>roi (roy) king <br>rouge red <br>rougeole measles <br>royaume kingdom <br>rue street <br>Russe Russian  

S  

<br>sa his, her, its <br>sabotier wooden-shoe maker <br>sacristain sacristan, sexton <br>sage-femme midwife <br>saignement bleeding <br>sain sane, healthy <br>saints sacrements last rites<br>d’absolution <br>samedi Saturday <br>sans without <br>sans vie without life, lifeless <br>savoir to know, namely <br>savonnier soap merchant, soapmaker <br>saxon Saxon <br>scarlatine scarlet fever <br>sceau seal <br>scieur sawyer <br>Seigneur the Lord <br>seize sixteen <br>seizième sixteenth <br>selon according to <br>semaine week <br>sénilité old age <br>sept seven <br>septante seventy <br>septantième seventieth <br>septembre September <br>septième seventh <br>sépulture burial <br>seront (they) will be <br>serrurier locksmith <br>servante maid, servant girl <br>ses his, her, its <br>seul(e) single, alone <br>seulement only <br>sexe sex <br>siècle century <br>signature signature <br>signé signed <br>six six <br>sixième sixth <br>société society <br>soeur sister <br>soeur consanguine sister by the same father but different mother <br>soeur germaine sister by the same mother and father <br>soeur utérine sister by the same mother but different father <br>soir (soirée) evening <br>soixante sixty <br>soixante-dix seventy <br>soixante-dixième seventieth <br>soixantième sixtieth <br>soldat soldier <br>son his, her, its <br>sont are <br>sous under, low <br>soussigné the undersigned <br>souvent often <br>statut légal status, condition <br>statut personnel status, condition <br>sud south <br>Suisse Swiss <br>suivant(e) next, following, according to <br>supérieur(e) upper <br>sur on, above, upon, at <br>surlendemain two days later <br>survivant surviving <br>sus-dit aforementioned <br>susnommé aforementioned  

T  

<br>table index <br>tables décennales ten-year indexes <br>tailleur cloth maker, draper <br>tailleur de pierre stonecutter <br>tailleur d’habits tailor <br>tanneur tanner <br>tant as, so much <br>tante aunt <br>tantôt afternoon <br>tavernier tavern owner <br>teinturier dyer <br>témoin witness <br>temps time <br>tenir un enfant sur les fonts to act as godfather or godmother to a child <br>terre earth, land <br>terres estate <br>testament last will <br>thermidor See “Months” <br>tisserand weaver <br>tisserand de lin linen weaver <br>tisseur weaver <br>tome volume <br>tonnelier cooper <br>tôt early (a.m.) <br>toujours always <br>tournier turner, woodworker <br>tous all <br>tous les deux both <br>toux cough <br>travailleur worker, laborer <br>travers, à through, across <br>treize thirteen <br>treizième thirteenth <br>trente thirty <br>trente-et-un thirty-one <br>trente-et-unième thirty-first <br>trentième thirtieth <br>tribunal court <br>trois three <br>troisième third <br>tuilier tile maker <br>tumeurv tumor <br>tuteur guardian  

U  

<br>valet servant <br>vallée valley <br>varie various <br>variole smallpox <br>veille previous evening or day <br>vendémiaire See “Months” <br>vendeur seller, salesman <br>vendeuse seller, saleslady <br>vendredi Friday <br>ventôse See “Months” <br>vérole venereal disease, syphilis <br>vérole, petite smallpox <br>verrier glassmaker <br>vers toward <br>vert green <br>veuf widowed, widower <br>veuve widowed, widow <br>vie life <br>vieillesse old age <br>vierge virgin, unmarried woman <br>vieux (vielle) old <br>vieux garçon bachelor <br>vigneron grape grower <br>village hamlet, village <br>ville village or town, city <br>vingt twenty <br>vingt-cinq twenty-five <br>vingt-cinquième twenty-fifth <br>vingt-deux twenty-two <br>vingt-deuxième twenty-second <br>vingt-et-un twenty-one <br>vingt-et-unième twenty-first <br>vingt-huit twenty-eight <br>vingt-huitième twenty-eighth <br>vingtième twentieth <br>vingt-neuf twenty-nine <br>vingt-neuvième twenty-ninth <br>vingt-quatre twenty-four <br>vingt-quatrième twenty-fourth <br>vingt-sept twenty-seven <br>vingt-septième twenty-seventh <br>vingt-six twenty-six <br>vingt-sixième twenty-sixth <br>vingt-trois twenty-three <br>vingt-troisième twenty-third <br>vivant living, lifetime <br>vivant, de son during his (her) life <br>vivre to live <br>voir see <br>voisin(e) neighbor <br>vouloir to wish, to want  

<br>NUMBERS  

<br>English French <br>January janvier <br>February février <br>March mars <br>April avril <br>May mai <br>June juin <br>July juillet <br>August août <br>September septembre, 7bre <br>October octobre, 8bre <br>November novembre, 9bre <br>December décembre, 10bre, Xbre  

<br>DATES AND TIME  

<br>Paper publication: Second edition 1997. English approval: 4/97.  

[[Category:French]]