Jewish Languages

Hebrew Alphabet
Jewish records may be in Yiddish, Hebrew, or the language of the country of residence. Yiddish, Hebrew, and Ladino are all written in the Hebrew alphabet. Synagogue records, other records kept by Jews, and tombstone inscriptions are often written in the Hebrew alphabet.

Hebrew is written from right to left. Vowels were used to mark grammatical form and were not originally written. Diacritical marks and subscript signs are now used to represent vowels. The following chart shows the 22 Hebrew consonants and how the letters are transcribed into the Roman alphabet. Each of the 22 consonants also represents a number value, which is also shown.



Thousands are designated by a single quote next to the letter:



A double quote between the last two letters signifies a year:



Vowels are indicated by modifying the preceding consonant. The following example, using the first letter of the alphabet, shows how this is done:



Hebrew months are written as follows:



A few other Hebrew abbreviations you often find on tombstones include:



Language Aids
The FamilySearch Library has genealogical word lists for many languages, including German, Polish, and Latin. For information about the Russian language, click here. These can be very helpful in reading the records that pertain to your ancestors. The Library also has a good collection of dictionaries. Those that have not been microfilmed cannot circulate. Check for dictionaries for the countries you are researching in the FamilySearch Catalog. Foreign dictionaries are also available at many bookstores, including bookstores on the Internet.

Search this Wiki for the country or state where your ancestor lived under the topic "Language and Languages."