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Spelling Variants in German Documents (view source)

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In this day and age of high literacy and standardization, we are used to, indeed expect, that what we see in print will be uniform. For example, we can look up words in dictionaries to find the ‘correct spelling.’ However, such has not always been the case. Centuries ago, there were no dictionaries available to dictate ‘correct spelling’ and most dictionaries that were available were designed to give definitions, not spelling. Most writers from before the 18th century would have found the idea of a single spelling for any particular word rather odd. If several possible spelling variants are available, why should one be limited to only one choice? Early writers certainly took advantage of the many possibilities available to them. After all, variety is the spice of life. In modern German, the sound represented by the English word ‘I’ can be rendered by ‘ei, ai, ey,’ and ‘ay.’ Again, writers from previous centuries could and did use any of these to render the ‘I’ sound.  
In this day and age of high literacy and standardization, we are used to, indeed expect, that what we see in print will be uniform. For example, we can look up words in dictionaries to find the ‘correct spelling.’ However, such has not always been the case. Centuries ago, there were no dictionaries available to dictate ‘correct spelling’ and most dictionaries that were available were designed to give definitions, not spelling. Most writers from before the 18th century would have found the idea of a single spelling for any particular word rather odd. If several possible spelling variants are available, why should one be limited to only one choice? Early writers certainly took advantage of the many possibilities available to them. After all, variety is the spice of life. In modern German, the sound represented by the English word ‘I’ can be rendered by ‘ei, ai, ey,’ and ‘ay.’ Again, writers from previous centuries could and did use any of these to render the ‘I’ sound.  


<br>In this article we will look at spellings that deviate from standard modern German that appear&nbsp;in genealogical documents. In the vast majority of cases, the variant spellings represent the same pronunciation as the standard form. We will not consider personal names or words that have Latin endings, such as ‘Aprilis.’ (Click here to see articles on [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/The_Low_German_Language_in_German_Research Low German ]and [https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/The_Dialect_Basis_of_Spelling_Variation_in_German_Surnames dialect basis of spelling variation&nbsp;in German surnames]). We will, however, consider some place names.<br>So, the researcher should not be alarmed, nor think the scribe ‘did not know how to spell,’ when he encounters these variants.&nbsp; Many of these variants will be found well into the 19th century.  
<br>In this article we will look at spellings that deviate from standard modern German that appear&nbsp;in genealogical documents. In the vast majority of cases, the variant spellings represent the same pronunciation as the standard form. We will not consider personal names or words that have Latin endings, such as ‘Aprilis.’ (Click here to see articles on [[Low German Language in German Research|Low German]] and [https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/The_Dialect_Basis_of_Spelling_Variation_in_German_Surnames dialect basis of spelling variation&nbsp;in German surnames]). We will, however, consider some place names.<br>So, the researcher should not be alarmed, nor think the scribe ‘did not know how to spell,’ when he encounters these variants.&nbsp; Many of these variants will be found well into the 19th century.  


{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="200"
{| width="200" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
|-
|-
| Standard&nbsp;German  
| Standard&nbsp;German  
| &nbsp;&nbsp; Variant
| &nbsp;&nbsp; Variant
|-
| Ältester
| A'ltister*
|-
|-
| abends  
| abends  
| abendts
| abendts, abendtz
|-
|-
| achtzehn  
| achtzehn  
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|-
|-
| April  
| April  
| Aberil, Abril
| Aberil, Abril, Appril
|-
|-
| Amt  
| Amt  
| Ambt
| Ambt
|-
|-
| auf&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
| auf               &nbsp;  
| auff, uff&nbsp;
| auff, uff&nbsp;
|-
|-
| bei  
| bei  
| bey, beÿ
| bey, beÿ
|-
| beiden
| baiden
|-
|-
| beigelegt-  
| beigelegt-  
| beÿgelägt-
| beÿgelägt-
|-
| Braut<br>
| Braud, Brautt<br>
|-
| Bräutigam<br>
| Breutigam, Breütigam<br>
|-
|-
| copuliert  
| copuliert  
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|-
|-
| ehelich(e)  
| ehelich(e)  
| ehlich
| ehlic, eelich
|-
| Eheleute
| Eheleuth
|-
|-
| ehrbar-  
| ehrbar-  
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|-
|-
| Eltern  
| Eltern  
| Aeltern,&nbsp;Æltern,&nbsp;&nbsp; Ältern,&nbsp;ältern, Elteren&nbsp;*
| Aeltern,&nbsp;Æltern,&nbsp;&nbsp; Ältern,&nbsp;ältern, Elteren&nbsp;**
|-
|-
| Ernte  
| Ernte  
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| Freÿheit
| Freÿheit
|-
|-
| Freitag&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
| Freitag           &nbsp;&nbsp;  
| Freytag, Freÿtag
| Freytag, Freÿtag
|-
|-
| geboren&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| gebürtig
| gebürttig
|-
| geboren            
| gebohren
| gebohren
|-
|-
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| gnandt, genandt&nbsp;
| gnandt, genandt&nbsp;
|-
|-
| getauft&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| getauft              
| getaufft, getauffet, getowffet, getaufet, getäufft&nbsp;
| getaufft, getauffet, getowffet, getaufet, getäufft, gtoufft&nbsp;
|-
|-
| Getauften  
| Getauften  
| Getaufften
| Getaufften
|-
| geteilt
| gedeild
|-
|-
| gewesen  
| gewesen  
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| Gezeügen
| Gezeügen
|-
|-
| gibt
| gibt  
| giebt
| giebt
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| hat  
| hat  
| hatt
|hatt
|-
|-
| Hauptmann  
| Hauptmann  
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|-
|-
| Hausfrau  
| Hausfrau  
| Haußfrau, Haußfraw,&nbsp;Haußfrauw, huyßfrau&nbsp;
| Haußfrau, Haußfraw,&nbsp;Haußfrauw, huyßfrau, Hußfrouwe&nbsp;
|-
|-
| Häusler  
| Häusler  
| Heisler
| Heisler
|-
|-
| heißt&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
| heißt               &nbsp;&nbsp;  
| heist, hayßt, haÿßt, hëyßt
| heist, hayßt, haÿßt, hëyßt
|-
|-
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| hochlöbliches  
| hochlöbliches  
| hochlöebliches
| hochlöebliches
|-
| Hochzeit
| Hochzeitte
|-
|-
| ist  
| ist  
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| iahr
| iahr
|-
|-
| Januar&nbsp; <br>
| Januar&nbsp; <br>  
| Jannuar, Jenner, Jänner, ienner
| Jannuar, Jenner, Jänner, Jäner, ienner
|-
|-
| Jenner, Jänner**  
| Jenner, Jänner***  
| ienner
| ienner
|-
|-
| Juli  
| Juli  
| Julÿ
| Julÿ
|-
| junge, junger
| june, juner
|-
|-
| Juni  
| Juni  
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|-
|-
| Kind  
| Kind  
| Chind,Kindt,Khind, Khindt, Kynd&nbsp;
| Chind,Kindt,Khind, Khindt, Kynd, Künd&nbsp;
|-
| Kinder<br>
| Khinder, Kinderen<br>
|-
|-
| Köln&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| Köln  
| Cöln
| Cöln
|-
|-
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| konfirmirt, confirmiert, confirmirt
| konfirmirt, confirmiert, confirmirt
|-
|-
| Krefeld&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| Krefeld  
| Crefeld
| Crefeld
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| ledig  
| ledig  
| leedig
| leedig, letig
|-
|-
| Mädchen  
| Mädchen  
| Mägdgen
| Mägdgen, Mädgen<br>
|-
|-
| März&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| März  
| Merz, Mertz. Märtz&nbsp;
| Merz, Mertz. Märtz, März
|-
|-
| Mai  
| Mai  
| Mäÿ
| Mäÿ
|-
| Metzger
| Mezger
|-
| mir
| mihr
|-
|-
| mit  
| mit  
| midt, mitt
| midt, mitt
|-
|Montag
|Mondtag
|-
|-
| Müller  
| Müller  
| Miller
| Miller
|-
| mitgeteilt
| mit gedeild
|-
|-
| Monat  
| Monat  
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| morgendts
| morgendts
|-
|-
| Name&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| Name                
| Nahme
| Nahme
|-
|-
| nehmlich
| nämlich
| nemlich
| nemlich
|-
| neun[ten]
| noin[ten]
|-
|-
| niederkommen  
| niederkommen  
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|-
|-
| November  
| November  
| Noüember
| Noüembe, Nofember
|-
|-
| Oktober&nbsp;  
| Oktober&nbsp;  
| October
| October
|-
|-
| Pate&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
| Pate           &nbsp;&nbsp;  
| Pathe
| Pathe
|-
|-
| Paten  
| Paten  
| Pathyn
| Pathyn
|-
| Samstag
| Sambßtag
|-
|-
| Schuhmacher  
| Schuhmacher  
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|-
|-
| September  
| September  
| Sebtember
| Sebtember, Settember
|-
|-
| siebzig  
| siebzig  
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|-
|-
| Söhnlein  
| Söhnlein  
| Sohnlein
| Sohnlein, Sonlein
|-
|-
| Sonntag  
| Sonntag  
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|-
|-
| Töchterlein  
| Töchterlein  
| tochterlein
| tochterlein, Töchterlin
|-
|-
| tot  
| tot  
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| Vater  
| Vater  
| Vatter
| Vatter
|-
| Verheiratet
| Verheigradet
|-
|-
| Verstorbene  
| Verstorbene  
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| war  
| war  
| wahr
| wahr
|-
| waren
| wahren
|-
|-
| ward  
| ward  
| wardt
| wardt
|-
| Welt
| Weld
|-
|-
| weshalb  
| weshalb  
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| wird  
| wird  
| wirdt
| wirdt
|-
| Wittib
| Widdib
|-
| wohnhaft
| wonhafft
|-
| (Tauf)zettel
| (Tauf)zedel
|-
| zehnten
| zehenden
|-
| Zeuge
| Zeug, Zeig
|-
|-
| Zeugen  
| Zeugen  
| Zeigen
| Zeigen, Zügen
|-
|-
| zwanzig  
| zwanzig  
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|}
|}


&nbsp;* Also found is 'alter' with an 'e' (written in regular Latin script) above the 'a.'
&nbsp;* The ' after the A was found in the document (it is not a typo)&nbsp;and represents an 'e' to make the umlaut.  


&nbsp;** This is the standard form in Austria&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;**Also found is 'alter' with an 'e' (written in regular Latin script) above the 'a.' <br>&nbsp;*** This is the standard form in Austria                    


Often, very old verb forms appear. For example, today we spell ‘scheint,’ but you might find ‘scheinet,’ with an extra ‘e.’ <br><br>This list will grow in time as the writer finds more variants to add.  
Often, very old verb forms appear. For example, today we spell ‘scheint,’ but you might find ‘scheinet,’ with an extra ‘e.’ <br><br>This list will grow in time as the writer finds more variants to add.  


Although the following is not a spelling variation, we mention it here:<br>gewesene&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; geweste<br>
Although the following is not a spelling variation, we mention it here:<br>gewesene           &nbsp;&nbsp; geweste<br>  


[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Germany Language and Handwriting]] [[Category:Language and Handwriting]]
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