Sweden Business and Occupations

Occupations were a measure of social status. Some trades were viewed as more prestigious than others. For example, goldsmiths had more prestige than shoemakers. Many trades, such as butchers, tanners, shoemakers, tailors, and others were organized into guilds, which were in charge of training apprentices and regulating a trade's practice in an area.

Guilds were usually established in each city. Guild records include lists of members, information on journeymen practicing in the town, marriages of journeymen, and advancements from the rank of apprentice to journeyman and from journeyman to master craftsman. In addition, contracts between masters and parents of apprentices may be included.

Guild records are now stored in the provincial archives for the area where the records originated. The Family History Library has some Swedish guild records. It also has a few books about Swedish guilds and occupations.

To find these sources, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

SWEDEN - OCCUPATIONS

SWEDEN, [COUNTY] - OCCUPATIONS

SWEDEN, [COUNTY], [CITY] - OCCUPATIONS

A wordlist for some Swedish occupations follows:

A

abetare = workmen
adel = nobility
adelsman = nobleman
adlig = noble
adoptera = to adopt
adopterad = adopted
afflyttning = removal
afled = deceased
afton = evening
ahl=This is the older spelling variation for
"al", which is an alder tree.
aldrig = never
alla, allt = all
alltid = always
ana, anor = ancestor
andtäppa = shortness of breath, asthma
anfall = seizure
ankom = came
annan = other
antavla = pedigree, ancestry, genealogy
arbetare = worker
arftagare = heir
arftagerska = heiress
arkiv = archive = office of records
arrendator = tenant farmer, leaseholder
arton = eighteen
arv = inheritance
arvinge = heir
attest = certificate
av = by, of
avgift = fee
avgång = departure
avgått = moved
avled = died
avsomna = die, death
______________________________________

B

backstuga = a small house dug into the side of a hill
bagare = baker
barn = child
barnbarn = grandchildren
barnhus = orphanage
barnmorska = midwife
barnsb.=mother died in childbirth
bataljon = battalion
begraved = buried
berg = hill, mountain
bergsman = =miner
biografi = biography
björn = bear, man's name
blad = leaf
bliva = be, become
bok = book
bokhandlare = bookseller
b., bond, bonde, = farmer, peasant
borg = castle, fortress
borgmästare = mayor
bosatt = living (in, at or whatever
bosted = residence, address
boupteckning = estate inventory, will
brandsoldat = fireman
brandstationen = firestation
broder = brother
bröstfeber = inflammation of the lungs.
bröstinflammation= lunginflammation= pneumonia.
brorsdotter = brothers's daughter, neice
brorson = brother's son, nephew
brud = bride
brudgum = bridegroom
bröllop = wedding
bruk = usage, foundry, mill, industry
br., brukare = user, employer, farmer, tenant
brukinspektor=factory manager, factory inspector
bryggare = brewer
båtsman = a marine soldier. There was a firm organization where every man had a 'place in the organization' and a place to live with his family. The place had a number and the soldier had a name, which was connected to the place where to live.

börje = man's name

TOP
_______________________________________

C

cantor=organist, choir director
chorsångare=singer in a choir
christnadad =baptized
churchverger = is a person in the employee of a
church who is responsible for the upkeep of the "interior" of the church. This person would also carry the rod, or symbol of office, for someone of authority in a church procession.
cigarrarbetare=cigar maker
cigarrbutik=cigar shop
circa=c:a/ca., about, approximately
civilregistret = civil engineer
coopvaerdi = merchant marine
croft=torp, cottage, little farm, hamlet
crofter=torpare, cottager, peasant
______________________________________

D

dag = day
dagsverkskarl = male day laborer
dal = valley
dam = lady
danneman = farmer, gentleman
datum = date
den = the
dom = sentence, judgement
domare = judge
dop = baptism-christening
d., dotter = daughter
dotterdotter = daughter's daughter, granddaughter
dotterson = daughter's son, grandson
drottning = queen
drunkma = drown = drunkna
dräng = farmhand, bachelor, young man
dödsboken = death records
döbt, döpt = baptized
död, dödd = dead
dödbok = death record
dödfödd = stillborn
dödsorsak = cause of death
döpt = döpta, döpte, döpelse christening
dött = has died
döv = deaf

_____________________________________

E

efternamn = last name
egendom = property
eller, el. = or
engelsk = English :) :) :)
etternavn = family name
ett = one, a, an
______________________________________
TOP

F

fabrik = factory, mill
far = fader, father
farbror = father's brother, uncle
farfar = father's father, grandfather
farfars mor = father's father's mother, great grandmother
farmor = father's mother, grandmother
farmor's far = father's mother father, great grandfather
farmor's mor = fahter's mother's mother, great grandmother
fars farbor = father's fahter's brother, granduncle
fars faster = father's fahter's sister, grandaunt
fars morbror = father's mother's brother, granduncle
faster = father's sister, aunt
fattighus = workhouse, poor house
fågel = bird
flicka = girl
flytta = move
flyttbetyg = removal certificate
foreldre = parents
fornavn = christian name, given name
forskning = research
forsoldat = fot soldier
forstår = understands
fräjd och särskilda anteckniugar = character and
private notes
frånskild = divorced
född = born
född i borgerligt stånd = born of the middle class, a tradesman's child
födelsboken = birth records
födelse = birth
födelseanteckningar för åren = birth notes for the year
födelseort = place of birth
födelsman = person whose working life has passed, elderly person
född utom äktenskap = born out of wedlock
födorådstagare = see undantagsman
förarbete = preperation, preparatory work
förbrukining = consumption (to use)
förbrytare = criminal, delinquent
föreläsare = lecturer, reader
förening = society union
förfader = ancestor
förlovad = engaged
föräldrar = parents
församling = parish
förstfödd = firstborn
förteckning = list
_____________________________________

G

gamel = old, aged
gamla = old (gamla stan = old town)
gata = street
gift = married
glas sliperiarbetaren=glass grinder or glass cutter
gosse = boy
granne = neighbor
gymnasium = senior high school
gård = farm
gästgivare = Innkeeper, landlord
______________________________________

H

haft = had
helt = whole, entire, full, complete
halften = half
halvsyskon = half siblings
handelsman = merchant
hantverkare = artisan
hem.egaren = farm owner
hemmansegare = hemmansägare=farm owner
(hem.,hemman, hn, h:n,= farm area, homestead)
(hemmansegarinna = female farm owner)
husförhörslängd = household examinations (clerical surveys)
husman = cottager, crofter, tenant.
hus - house
hustru, hust., hu, H., h., = wife
huvudman principal
härod = judicial district = härad
höst = autumn
______________________________________

I

i = in
infanteri = infantry
inflyttning = moving in
inhyseshjon=a person living gratis at somebody’s
house, a cottager
innehåll = contents
invandrare = immigrant

______________________________________

J

jarnvagstjman vid jarnvagen = Railway officer at the railway
jord = earth, land
jordbrukare = farmer
jordebok = land record
jordegumma = midwife
jordbruksarbetare = farm worker
jul = christmas
jägmästare = forester
järnarbetare = iron worker
______________________________________

K

karta = map
keso = soft cheese (new fresh)
klockare = he is again an employee of the church and nominally held three jobs -- he was 1) the parish clerk; 2) the church organist, and 3) the teacher of the ABCs to the young people of that church.
konfirmationslängd= confirmation record
koppor = smallpox
krigsarkivet = swedish military records
kusin = cousin
kvinna = woman
kyrka = church
kyrkobok = parish register
kyrkogård = cemetery, graveyard
kung = konung, king
kungarike = kingdom
kunglig = royal
kusin = cousin
kvarn = mill
kväll = evening
kyrka/kyrkan = church = parish
kyrkobok = parish register
kyrkoräkenskaper = introduced to church after childbirth
källkod = source code
kön = sex (m for male and k for female)
köping = small town
köpman = Merchant
______________________________________

L

lag = law
landsarkiven = provincial archives
landskap = province
landtbrukare = gentleman farmer (well to do)
landtbruksman = countryman, farmer
landbonde - tenant farmer,leaseholder (arrendator)
lesat - leasar = lease
lilla = little, small
Lind = Limetree
lysning = bann
län = county letter = county
länsman = district constable, (sheriff)
______________________________________

M

maka = wife
make = husband
matros = sailor, seaman
med = with
medåkande = travel with someone
middag = noon
mindre vetande - feeble minded, not quite right in the head
mjolnare = miller
mor = mother
morgon = morning
moder = mother
morfar = mother's father, grandfather
mormor = mother's mother, grandmother
mycket = much--tack så mycket = thank you much
målare=painter
mästersmed = master smith
mördad = murdered
_____________________________________

To top

N

namn = name
natt = night
noll = zero
norsk = Norwegian
nu = now
nyfödd = newborn
nämdeman = juryman
när = when
nära = near

_____________________________________

O

och = and
afta = often
ogift = unmarried
omgift = remarried
omkommen = died accidentally, drowned
ordbok = dictionary
ort = place
oä., oäkta = illegitimate
oäktra barn = illegitimate child
_____________________________________

P

parant = elegant stylish
Penning (peng,slant,mynt) = coin.
Penningar (shorter form: pengar) is the undefinite plural form of penning,
penningarna the definite plural form.
In the singular the ending -en will give you the definte form. Penningen is t h e coin.
p, pig, piga = maid, spinster, single girl
pojke = boy = gosse = boy
prairieblommen=the prairie flower

Probandus is latin and in genealogy it means the person whose ancestors you are searching/presenting.
----------------------------------
prost = dean
prest = minister
präst = clergyman, minister, priest
på = on, upon, at, in
påsk = Easter
______________________________________

R

regemente = regiment
Riddarhuset = house of nobility
riksarkiv = national archives, state archives
rote = district within a parish
rusthållare = owner of a farm equipping a
cavalry soldier
ryttare = cavalryman
rättare = overseer, foreman on a farm
_____________________________________

S

samhälle = the same
samling = gathering assembly collecting
samt = and
sambo = cohabitee, common law wife - husband
sambo is a shortening of Sammanboende=living
together
sedan = since
senare = later (den)
sex = six
sida = page
sjökapten = sea captain
sjoman = seaman, sailor = sjöman
sjuk = sick
sjukdom = disease
sjukhus = hospital
sjuklig - infirm, weak in health, sickly
sjukskoterskebitrade = Assisting nurse
sjö = lake
sjömän = seamen, sailor
skatt = tax
skild = divorced
skog = forest
skola = school
slot = castle
släktforskning = genealogy research
släktnamn, efternamn = last name
smed, smith=blacksmith
snickare = carpenter
socken = parish
sold., soldat = soldier
sold=soldier
soldat=soldier
stadsarkiv = dity archives
stamtavla = pedigree
stift = diocese
ström = stream
styrman = mate or officer (i.e at at sea).
stuga = cottage, house
svenska = Swedish
svenska adel = swedish nobility
syskon = siblings
sångarfärden=The Singers Journey
sötmandel = almonds
__________________________

T

tabell = table
tafvla = genealogical chart
talet = century
tegelbruk = brickyard
tegelarbetare = brick worker
tid = time
till = to, until , at
tillnamn = surname
timme = hour
timmerman = carpenter
tingsläg = judicial district
titel = title
tjäll = hut, cottage, roof
tjänare = servant
tomtägare = lot owner
torp = cottage, little farm, hamlet, croft
torpare=crofter, cottager, peasant doesn't own his torp but pays for living there by working for the farm that the torp belongs to
torparson = crofter's son,
tredingsbrukare (brukare=user, employer, farmer, tenent)
trolovad = engaged
trångbröstigket = asthma
trånsjuka = consuption, atrophy, languishing
trä = wood, timber
tunnland = Swedish acre
tusen = 1000
tvilling = twins
______________________________________

U

undantagsman = undt. =previous farm owner receiving his
livlihood/support from the person to whom the farm
now belongs. (usually related)
underskrift = signature
ung = young
ungkarl = bachelor, unmarried, single
ungmö (gamal) = old maid, spinster
umgmö (ung) = maiden = ungmö
urmak. = urmakare = watchmaker, clockmaker
ute = out
utfattig = pauper
utflytta = move out
utflyttaings-attestens nummer = the moving-out certificate's number
utflyttning = moving out
utom aktenskap = out of wedlock
utom äktenskapliga barn = illegitimate child
utresehamn = port
utvandra = emigrate
utvandrardag = date of departue
______________________________________

V

vad = what
vallon = Walloon
vapen = coat of arms, weapon
var = was, where
vattosot = dropsy = vattusot
vaviola = small pox
vecka = week
vem = who
vetemjöl = wheat flour
vigde & gift = married
vilka = which
viksdagen = the parliament = riksdagen
vittne = Witness, Vittnen = Witnesses

_____________________________________

Y

yngling = young man, boy
yrke = profession, occupation
_____________________________________

Å

å = at, on, to
å = river
åbo = tenant, farmer who does not own, but has
right of possesion
ålader = age
ålderdom = old age
år = year
år och datum = year and date
årlig = annual, yearly
åt = to
åtta = eight
åttip = 80 = åttio
___________________________________

Ä

äga = own
ägare = äg = owner
ägor = land, possessions
äktenskap = marriage
äldre = oldest, older
äldst = eldest
ä., änk, änka = widow
änkedrottning = queen dowager, queen mother
änkeman = widower
är = are, is, am
ätt = family
________________________________

Ö

ö = island
öde = uninhabited, desolate, deserted
öst = east
över = over
överstelöjtnant = lieutenant colonel
övre = upper

 Category:Sweden