A Glossary of Genealogical Terms

A

a (ab)

 * Latin word for "from, by."

a cagione di

 * Italian word for "because of."

a casa

 * Italian word for "at home."

a reçu

 * French word for "has received."

a, az

 * Hungarian word for "the."

außer Dienst(a.D.)

 * German word for "formerly employed, retired."

avioliiton ulkopuolella

 * Finnish word for "illegitimate, out of wedlock."

a

 * Czech word for "and."
 * French word for "has."
 * Portuguese word for "the (feminine)" and "to, toward."
 * Spanish word for "to, in, into, on."

abuela materna (Aa.M.)

 * Spanish word for "maternal grandmother."

abuela paterna (Aa.P.)

 * Spanish word for "paternal grandmother."

aamu

 * Finnish word for "morning."

aamulla

 * Finnish word for "in the morning."

aamupäivä

 * Finnish word for "forenoon."

aan, Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "to."

aan, Dutch

 * Dutch word for "upon, to."

aand

 * Afrikaans word for "evening."

aangenome naam

 * Afrikaans word for "alias."

aangenomen naam

 * Dutch word for "named, alias, also known as, assumed name, accepted surname."

aangiften

 * Dutch word for "intentions (marriage), declarations."

aanneem

 * Afrikaans word for "to adopt (a child)."

aannemen

 * Dutch word for "to adopt (a child), to assume, to take on."

aanneming

 * Dutch word for "confirmation."

aannemingsdag

 * Dutch word for "day of confirmation."

aanstaande, Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "betrothed, future (husband/wife), next."

aanstaande, Dutch

 * Dutch word for "next, toward, following, expectant, future, impending."

aanval

 * Dutch word for "stroke, attack."

aarde, Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "earth (buried in)."
 * Dutch word for "earth (buried in), ground."

aardrijkskundig woordenboek

 * Dutch word for "gazetteer."

aardrykskundige woordeboek

 * Afrikaans word for "gazetteer."

aateli(nen)

 * Finnish word for "noble."

aatelisto

 * Finnish word for "nobility."

aatto

 * Finnish word for "eve."

ab

 * German word for "from, since."

ab hoc mense

 * Latin word for "from this month on."

abaixo-assinado

 * Portuguese word for "undersigned."

abavia

 * Latin word for "great-great-grandmother."

abavus

 * Latin word for "great-great-grandfather, ancestor."

abbiamo

 * Italian word for "we have."

abbiente

 * Italian word for "owner."

abbracciatutto

 * Italian word for "jack-of-all-trades."

abcesso

 * Portuguese word for "abscess."

abdormitus

 * Latin word for "died."

abdormivit

 * Latin word for "he/she died."

Abend

 * German word for "evening."

abends

 * German word for "in the evening."

aber

 * German word for "but."

abgestorben

 * German word for "deceased."

abiatico

 * Italian word for "grandson."

abiit

 * Latin word for "he/she died."

abinde

 * Latin word for "since."

abitante

 * Italian word for "inhabitant."

abitare

 * Italian word for "to live."

abitazione

 * Italian word for "home, residence."

abitus est

 * Latin word for "he/she died, went away."

abjectarius

 * Latin word for "cabinetmaker, woodworker."

abjurations

 * French word for "renunciations of Protestant faith."

abjuro

 * Latin word for "to renounce by oath."

ablutus est

 * Latin word for "he was baptized."

abogado

 * Spanish word for "lawyer."

abolished

 * Done away with, discontinued.

abril (abl)

 * Spanish and Portuguese word for "April."

abs

 * Latin word for "from, by."

absceso

 * Spanish word for "abscess."

abscessus

 * Latin word for "death."

Absentee landlords

 * Landowners who lived far away from the area they owned. Most of the landowners for Prince Edward Island before 1873 lived in Great Britain. People who lived on the island rented or leased the land from them.

absolution

 * French word for "absolution, last rites."

absolvere

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "to give absolution."

absque

 * Latin word for "without, except."

absterben

 * German word for "to die, to die off."

abstersus

 * Latin word for "baptized."

Abstract Index of Deeds, Canada

 * A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Deeds refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Deeds is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Title.

Abstract Index of Title, Canada:

 * A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Title refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Title is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Deeds.

Abstract, census

 * The summary of census results sent to the United States government by the census taker.

Abstract, general

 * A summary that contains only the pertinent points of a longer text. Abstracts are commonly created for articles (such as obituaries) in periodicals and newspapers and for documents or collections of records.

abuela

 * Spanish word for "grandmother."

abuela materna (Aa.M.)

 * Spanish word for "maternal grandmother."

abuela paterna (Aa.P.)

 * Spanish word for "paternal grandmother."

abuelo

 * Spanish word for "grandfather."

abuelos

 * Spanish word for "grandparents."

abuo

 * Latin word for "I baptize, I wash."

aby

 * Polish and Czech word for "so that."

ac

 * Latin word for "and."

Acadia, Canada

 * A region in what is now Eastern Canada that comprises the present-day provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The area remained under French control until the end of Queen Anne's War (1702–1713). The Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which ended this war, gave Acadia to Great Britain. A dispute arose, however, because some parts of Acadia had remained neutral during the war, so only peninsular Nova Scotia ended up in British control at that time. In 1755, during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. The Acadians who refused were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, most returned to southern New Brunswick. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where they became the Cajuns.

Acadian

 * A person from Acadia; also a descendant of French settlers who came from the Acadia region of Canada, or present-day New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In 1755 during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. When they refused, many were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, some returned to northern New Brunswick and to coastal areas of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where their descendants became known as the Cajuns.

acatholicus

 * Latin word for "non-Catholic, Protestant."

accanto

 * Italian word for "beside."

Accelerated Indexing Systems

 * A private company that published indexes to various United States censuses and other records.

accipio

 * Latin word for "to take, receive, take possession of."

accola

 * Latin word for "local resident."

accoucher

 * French word for "give birth."

accoucheuse

 * French word for "midwife."

Account, financial

 * The records containing information regarding an individual’s or institution’s financial dealings.

Account, guardianship

 * A record that contains the details of a guardian’s services in support of a minor child.

Accounts, probate

 * Records that show all transactions pertaining to the settlement of a deceased person's estate.

accusato

 * Italian word for "accused, charged."

acheter

 * French word for "to buy."

acht

 * German and Dutch word for "eight."

achte

 * German word for "eighth."

achtenswaardig

 * Dutch word for "respectable, honorable."

achtentwintig

 * Dutch word for "twenty-eight."

achtentwintigste

 * Dutch word for "twenty-eighth."

achterkleindochter

 * Dutch word for "great-granddaughter."

achterkleinzoon

 * Dutch word for "great-grandson."

achternaam

 * Dutch word for "surname, last name."

achtste

 * Dutch word for "eighth."

achttien

 * Dutch word for "eighteen."

achttiende

 * Dutch word for "eighteenth."

achtundzwanzig

 * German word for "twenty-eight."

achtundzwanzigste

 * German word for "twenty-eighth."

achtzehn

 * German word for "eighteen."

achtzehnhundert

 * German word for "eighteen hundred."

achtzehnte

 * German word for "eighteenth."

achtzig

 * German word for "eighty."

achtzigste

 * German word for "eightieth."

acicularius

 * Latin word for "needle maker."

Acid free

 * Acid in poor quality paper causes the destruction of documents and photographs. Documents whould be written on acid free paper, and documents should be stored in acid-free containers. See archival quality.

Ackermann

 * German word for "farmer."

acordo

 * Portuguese word for "agreement."

acougueiro

 * Portuguese word for "butcher."

acquiescat

 * Latin word for "he/she reposes, dies, is content with."

acquietus est

 * Latin word for "he died."

acra

 * Latin word for "acre."

acre

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "acre."

Act book

 * A day-by-day account of probate court actions. Also called grant book.

Act of the Parliament of Canada

 * A decision, law, or determination made by the Parliament of Canada. Divorce in Canada used to require an act of Parliament.

Act of Union, Canada

 * A law passed by the British Parliament in 1840 that established a united government for Lower Canada (to be called Canada East and later Québec) and Upper Canada (to be called Canada West and later Ontario). In 1791 the British government had established two colonies in central Canada: one to please the English-speaking United Empire Loyalists and another to please the French-speaking settlers. These two colonies had separate governments until the Act of Union took effect in 1841. The act provided for one governor to oversee both colonies. It established two legislative bodies. The legislative council was made up of 20 people appointed by the governor. The legislative assembly was made up of 42 members elected by the people in the colonies. The act established English as the only official language for councils and assemblies. French was made the second official language in 1848.

acta

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "record, document."

acte de baptême

 * French word for "baptismal record."

acte de décès

 * French word for "death record."

acte de naissance

 * French word for "birth certificate, record."

acte de sépulture

 * French word for "burial record."

Actes de tutelle

 * A French term for guardianship agreement.

Actes notaries

 * The French term for notarial records, which are records prepared by a notary. In France, Québec, and other areas of the world, notaries prepare acts and contracts and certify authentic copies of them. Some important notarial records in France include marriage contracts (contrats de mariage), wills (testaments), divisions of property among heirs (partages and successions), household inventories taken after someone's death (inventaires des biens or inventaires après décès), and guardianship agreements (actes de tutelle).

Action against Sweden, in Bohuslän (1788)

 * A failed attempt by Norway to capture the fortress at Bohus.

actum

 * Latin word for "record."

Acuerdos

 * The Spanish term for an agreement or settlement.

ad

 * Latin word for "to, at, in, for, towards."

Addendum

 * A portion of the International Genealogical Index® that contains the names acquired since the main file was published.

Addendum, Index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland on Microfiche, Scotland

 * One of the two parts of the index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland. It contains all entries that were missed in the Main index. The index is organized alphabetically by surname.

Additional Information, Scotland Church Records

 * A field on the Scottish Church Records that contains notes written by the person who indexed the original record. This field may contain frame numbers, additional relatives, or other information.

Address

 * The street or mailing location where a person or a business is located or may be communicated with.

Addressbücher, Germany

 * The German word for a city directory, which lists the names, addresses, and possibly telephone numbers of people living in the same city.

addì

 * Italian word for "on the day."

adel

 * Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish word for "nobility."

Adel, German

 * German word for "gentry, nobleman."

adelig

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "noble."

adellijk

 * Dutch word for "noble, titled."

adelsman

 * Swedish word for "nobleman."

adelsmann

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "nobleman."

aderlating

 * Dutch word for "bleeding, bloodletting."

aderton(de)

 * Swedish word for "eighteen (eighteenth)."

adesso

 * Italian word for "now."

adhuc

 * Latin word for "as yet, still."

adjoint du maire

 * French word for "mayor's assistant."

Adjutant

 * An officer in the army, air force, or marines who helps other higher-ranking officers with tasks such as correspondence.

Administration

 * A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An administration may also be called a letter of administration or admon.

adjutor

 * Latin word for "assistant."

adjuvenis

 * Latin word for "assistant."

adlig

 * Swedish word for "noble."

administración

 * Spanish word for "administration."

Administration bond

 * A written statement posted by the administrator of an estate guaranteeing that he or she will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.

Administration of estate

 * A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An administration may also be called a letter of administration or admon.

Administrator

 * An individual appointed by a court to settle a deceased individual’s estate if that individual did not leave a will.

administração

 * Portuguese word for "administration."

Admiral

 * A high-ranking officer in the navy or coast guard. There are four grades of admiral: admiral of the fleet, vice-admiral, admiral, and rear-admiral. The admiral of the fleet is the highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiral of the fleet

 * The highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiralty court

 * A court with jurisdiction over ships and seamen. Admiralty courts were originally British courts. After the Revolutionary War, federal district courts began handling admiralty cases in the United States.

Admiralty court, Pennsylvania

 * A court established in 1697 in Maryland to deal with issues of navigation and trade. This court had jurisdiction in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Jersey. In 1789, this court was dissolved and the authority transferred to federal jurisdiction.

Admission record

 * A record created when an individual became a member of a church or a particular congregation.

Admon

 * A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An admon may also be called a letter of administration or administration bond.

Admon with will

 * A record granting the right to administer an estate when the executor named in the will is deceased or unwilling or unable to act as executor.

adolescens

 * Latin word for "young man, adolescent."

adoptado (a)

 * Spanish word for "adopted."

adopterad

 * Swedish word for "adopted."

adopteret

 * Danish word for "adopted."

adoptert

 * Norwegian word for "adopted."

adoptiert

 * German word for "adopted."

Adoption

 * A legal process in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoption record

 * A record of the legal proceedings in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoptive parents

 * Parents who legally assume responsibility for the rights and privileges of a child not born to them. The duty of caring for the child is transferred from the natural parents to the adoptive parents.

adoptovaný

 * Czech word for "adopted."

adoptowany

 * Polish word for "adopted."

adoptált

 * Hungarian word for "adopted."

adopté(e)

 * French word for "adopted."

adotado (a)

 * Portuguese word for "adopted."

adottato, -a

 * Italian word for "adopted."

adresboek

 * Dutch word for "directory."

adress

 * Swedish word for "address."

adressbok

 * Swedish word for "directory."

adresse

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "address."

adulterio

 * Spanish word for "adultery."

adulterium

 * Latin word for "adultery."

adultère

 * French word for "adulterer."

adultério

 * Portuguese word for "adultery."

advenit

 * Latin word for "he appeared, came."

advocaat

 * Dutch word for "notary, lawyer."

advocatus

 * Latin word for "lawyer."

advogado (a)

 * Portuguese word for "lawyer."

advokaat

 * Afrikaans word for "advocate, lawyer."

adó

 * Hungarian word for "tax."

adúltero (a)

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "adulterer."

aeger

 * Latin word for "sick."

aegyptus

 * Latin word for "gypsy."

aequalis

 * Latin word for "equal."

aetas (aetatis)

 * Latin word for "age."

aetate

 * Latin word for "(being) in the age of, age."

af

 * Icelandic word for "by."

af

 * Danish word for "of, at, by, from."

afdeling

 * Danish word for "part, division, portion."

afdød

 * Danish word for "deceased."

afficher les bans

 * French word for "post banns."

affiché

 * French word for "posted (on door)."

Affidavit

 * A voluntarily written declaration of facts that is confirmed by the oath of the individual making the declaration and witnessed by an individual having authority to administer such an oath.

African-American

 * A term generally used in the United States to describe residents of African descent.

affinitas

 * Latin word for "relationship by marriage."

affinità

 * Italian word for "relationship."

affirmavit

 * Latin word for "he/she affirmed, confirmed, asserted."

affittuario, -a

 * Italian word for "renter, tenant."

afgangne

 * Danish word for "departed."

afgangsliste

 * Danish word for "moving-out record."

afgift

 * Danish word for "duty, monetary fee."

afi

 * Icelandic word for "grandfather."

afkondigen

 * Dutch word for "to post banns."

afkondigingen

 * Dutch word for "proclamations, banns."

aflausn

 * Icelandic word for "public remission of sins."

Ancestral File number (AFN)

 * A number used to identify each record in Ancestral File.

afogamento

 * Portuguese word for "drowning."

afschrift(en)

 * Dutch word for "extract, duplicate record, transcript, certified copy."

afskrif(te)

 * Afrikaans word for "duplicate, transcript."

aften

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "evening."

afton

 * Swedish word for "evening."

aftægt

 * Danish word for "support received after giving up an estate."

ag, agt

 * Afrikaans word for "eight."

Agency records

 * Records kept by an agency of the United States government, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

agente

 * Italian word for "agent."

agentis

 * Latin word for "of the official."

agglegény

 * Hungarian word for "bachelor."

agnatus

 * Latin word for "blood relative in the male line."

ago

 * Spanish word for "August."

agosto, Spanish (ago, agto)

 * Spanish word for "August."

agonia

 * Latin word for "cramps."

agosto

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "August."

agosto

 * Italian and Portuguese word for "August."

agosto, Spanish (ago, agto)

 * Spanish word for "August."

Agreement and crew list, Britain

 * A list of crew members serving on a ship that includes written agreements stating each crew member's wages, the capacity in which he was serving, and the nature of the voyage. Masters or owners of merchant ships were required to keep these lists and agreements starting in 1747 when Parliament passed the Act for the Relief of Disabled Seamen. Lists for a few ports survive for the period 1747 to 1834.

Agricultural schedule

 * A list in the 1850 to 1880 censuses that contains information on farms and the names of farmers.

agricola

 * Latin word for "farmer."

agricoltore

 * Italian word for "farmer."

agricultor

 * Spanish word for "farmer."

agste

 * Afrikaans word for "eighth."

agt-en-twintig

 * Afrikaans word for "twenty-eight."

agt-en-twintigste

 * Afrikaans word for "twenty-eighth."

agterkleindogter

 * Afrikaans word for "great-granddaughter."

agterkleinkind

 * Afrikaans word for "great-grandchild."

agterkleinseun

 * Afrikaans word for "great-grandson."

agtien

 * Afrikaans word for "eighteen."

agtiende

 * Afrikaans word for "eighteenth."

agto

 * Spanish word for "August."

agyláz

 * Hungarian word for "brain fever."

agyvérzés

 * Hungarian word for "stroke, apoplexy."

ahenarius

 * Latin word for "coppersmith."

Ahnen

 * German word for "ancestors."

Ahnenpaß, Germany

 * A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified from civil registration records and parish registers. The English term for this type of record is ancestor passport.

Ahnentafel chart

 * A table that lists the name and date and place of birth, marriage, and death for an individual and specified number of his or her ancestors. The first individual on the list is number one, the father is number two, the mother is number three, the paternal grandfather is number four, the paternal grandmother is number five, and so forth. Ahnentafel is a German word meaning ancestor chart or ancestor table. This chart is also called a continental pedigree.

ahí

 * Spanish word for "there."

ai (ay)

 * French word for "I have."

aika

 * Finnish word for "time, date."

aikainen

 * Finnish word for "early, (A.M.)."

aikaisempi

 * Finnish word for "earlier."

aikakauskirja

 * Finnish word for "periodical."

aikanaan

 * Finnish word for "in due time."

aina

 * Finnish word for "always."

ainda

 * Portuguese word for "still."

ainoa

 * Finnish word for "only."

ainsi que

 * French word for "as well as."

Accelerated Indexing Systems (AIS or AISI)

 * A private company that published indexes to various United States censuses and other records.

aivokuume

 * Finnish word for "encephalitis, inflammation of the brain."

aivotärähdys

 * Finnish word for "concussion."

ajaja

 * Finnish word for "coachman."

ajomies

 * Finnish word for "coachman."

akatolicki

 * Polish word for "non-Catholic."

aki

 * Hungarian word for "who."

akt

 * Polish word for "an entry in a register, record."

akta malzenstw, akta slubów

 * Polish word for "marriage records."

akta urodzin

 * Polish word for "birth records."

akta zapowiedzi

 * Polish word for "banns records."

akta zejsc

 * Polish word for "death records."

akta zgonów

 * Polish word for "death records."

akte

 * Dutch word for "certificate, deed, license."

Akten

 * German word for "documents."

akur

 * Icelandic word for "field."

akuszerka

 * Polish word for "midwife."

ala, ali

 * Finnish word for "low(er), under."

Alabama Territory, USA

 * A territory established in 1817 that covered all of present-day Alabama.

alacsony

 * Hungarian word for "short."

alaikäinen

 * Finnish word for "minor, underaged."

alapos

 * Hungarian word for "thorough."

alatt

 * Hungarian word for "under, before, during."

albacea

 * Spanish word for "executor of estate."

Albarazado

 * A term used in Catholic church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate

albañil

 * Spanish word for "stonemason."

albei

 * Afrikaans word for "both."

albergatore

 * Italian word for "innkeeper."

albero genealogico

 * Italian word for "pedigree."ays accurate.

Albino

 * A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is African and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

albo

 * Polish word for "or."

albus

 * Latin word for "white."

American Lutheran Church Archives (ALC Archives)

 * The central archives of the American Lutheran Church.

alcalde

 * Spanish word for "mayor."

Alcalde Ordinario, New Mexico

 * A Spanish term referring to a mayor's court that handled civil and criminal cases in what is now the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

alcunha

 * Portuguese word for "name."

alcuni, -e

 * Italian word for "some."

alcuno, -a

 * Italian word for "any, some."

aldea

 * Spanish word for "village."

alder

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "age."

alderdomssvaghed

 * Danish word for "weakness from old age."

alderdomssvakhet

 * Norwegian word for "weakness of old age."

Alderman's court

 * A court created in 1851 by the Provisional State of Deseret. No records for this court appear to exist.

aldri

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "never."

aldrig

 * Swedish word for "never."

aldur

 * Icelandic word for "age."

ale

 * Polish and Czech word for "but."

alemannus

 * Latin word for "German."

alemán (a)

 * Spanish word for "German."

alemão (a)

 * Portuguese word for "German."

Aleuts

 * The native people who have traditionally lived on the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska. The Aleuts call themselves Unangan, meaning "we the people." Though they are descended from the Eskimos, the Aleuts speak a different language.

alfaiate

 * Portuguese word for "tailor."

alfarero

 * Spanish word for "potter."

Algerie

 * French word for "Algeria."

algodão

 * Portuguese word for "cotton."

algodón

 * Spanish word for "cotton."

algum (a)

 * Portuguese word for "some."

algún (o, a)

 * Spanish word for "some, someone."

alhier

 * Dutch word for "here, at this place, locally."

ali

 * Portuguese word for "there."

Alias surname

 * A second surname that a person adopts. This was a common practice in Germany. In German records, aliases may be preceded by the word genannt, vulgo, modo, sive, or alias. A few people in France, mostly sailors or soldiers, also took alias surnames. These were preceded by the word dit, meaning so-called.

alias, Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "alias, known as, otherwise."

alias, Italian

 * Italian word for "alias, also known as."

alias, Latin

 * Latin word for "also, otherwise, or, at, another, called."

alibi

 * Latin word for "elsewhere, at another time."

Alien crew list, USA

 * A list of aliens employed on United States vessels as members of the crew.

Alien's declaration, Canada

 * A type of Canadian naturalization record in which aliens declare their intent to become Canadian citizens.

Alien's intention

 * The first legal document an alien files when he or she wishes to become a citizen of the United States. Filing this form signifies that the alien intends to become a citizen and will renounce all allegiance to other governments. The alien's intention is sometimes called a declaration of intention or first papers.

Aliens’ register

 * A document created during the Report and Registry process that listed all immigrants who reported to a local court to register their arrival in the United States.

alité

 * French word for "bedridden."

aliud (alius)

 * Latin word for "other, another."

all'uopo

 * Italian word for "to this end."

alla

 * Finnish word for "under."

alla nascita

 * Italian word for "time of birth."

alla, allt

 * Swedish word for "all."

alle

 * Danish, German, and Norwegian word for "all."

alle ore

 * Italian word for "at the hour."

alle ore sedici

 * Italian word for "at the sixteenth hour (4:00 p.m.)."

alle, Dutch

 * Dutch word for "all, every."

alleen, Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "alone, single."

alleen, Dutch

 * Dutch word for "alone, single, only."

allegati

 * Italian word for "supplements."

Allegheny Mountains (Alleghenies)

 * The mountain range that runs from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian mountain range that extends from Maine to Alabama.

Allegheny Mountains (Alleghenies)

 * The mountain range that runs from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian mountain range that extends from Maine to Alabama.

allekirjoittanut

 * Finnish word for "undersigned."

Allemand(e)

 * French word for "German."

allemania

 * Latin word for "Germany."

Allen County Public Library

 * A public library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This library has an excellent collection of materials about the Midwest, Indiana, and the United States. The Allen County Public Library also publishes the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), an index to genealogical periodicals.

alles

 * Afrikaans word for "all, everything."

allevatore

 * Italian word for "animal feeder."

allhier

 * German word for "in this place."

alliance

 * French word for "marriage."

Allí te estás

 * A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian, African, and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

allora

 * Italian word for "then."

Allowance docket

 * A list of court-ordered payments.

alltid

 * Norwegian and Swedish word for "always."

allá

 * Spanish word for "there."

allí

 * Spanish word for "there."

alma, Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "soul, person."

alma, Spanish

 * Spanish word for "soul, inhabitant."

almeno

 * Italian word for "at least."

almisse

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "charity."

almisselem

 * Norwegian word for "indigent, poor."

alquiler, renta

 * Spanish word for "rent."

Alsace Emigration Index

 * An index of people who emigrated from or through Elsaß-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine) between 1817 and 1866. About half of the people mentioned in this index are French. The others are mostly Swiss and German.

Alsace-Lorraine

 * Two regions in modern-day France that are located along the German border. Germany won these two regions in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian war. (The German term for the region is Elsaß-Lothringen.) France regained these two regions in 1919 with the Peace of Versailles.

Alsacien(ne)

 * French word for "Alsatian."

Alsatian

 * A person from the Alsace region of France. Since many Alsatians spoke more German than French, they were often called Germans when they emigrated to other countries. Many Alsatians emigrated to Russia between 1763 and World War I. Beginning in 1874 many of these Russian Alsatians moved to the United States, Canada, and South America. In 1722 the Holy Roman emperors and Austro-Hungarian monarchs encouraged Alsatians and Germans to settle in their lands, especially on the border devastated by the Turks. Colonies developed in what became Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. After World War II, many people of Alsatian descent moved to the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other nations.

alsó

 * Hungarian word for "lower."

alt-katholisch

 * German word for "old Catholic."

alt, Danish

 * Danish word for "all."

alt, German

 * German word for "old."

altare

 * Latin word for "altar."

Altbürger

 * German word for "full citizen."

Alter, German

 * German word for "age."

alter, Latin

 * Latin word for "the next, the other."

altera die

 * Latin word for "on the next day."

altergang

 * Norwegian word for "Communion."

Altersschwäche

 * German word for "weakness of old age."

altid

 * Danish word for "always."

altijd, steeds

 * Dutch word for "always."

alto (a), Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "high."

alto, Italian

 * Italian word for "high."

altre volte

 * Italian word for "formerly."

altresì

 * Italian word for "also, too."

altro

 * Italian word for "other, else."

altura

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "height."

altyd

 * Afrikaans word for "always."

alue

 * Finnish word for "region, district."

aluguél

 * Portuguese word for "rent."

alulirott

 * Hungarian word for "undersigned."

Alumni directory

 * A list of the names and addresses of people who graduated from a school, university, or other educational facility.

alus

 * Finnish word for "ship."

alutarius

 * Latin word for "tanner."

aláirás

 * Hungarian word for "signature."

além

 * Portuguese word for "beyond."

amanhã

 * Portuguese word for "tomorrow."

amanuense

 * Spanish word for "scribe, clerk."

amarelo (a)

 * Portuguese word for "yellow."

amarillo (a)

 * Spanish word for "yellow."

ambagsman

 * Afrikaans word for "artisan, tradesman, workman."

ambedue

 * Italian word for "both."

ambo

 * Latin word for "both, two together."

ambos (as)

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "both."

ambt

 * Dutch word for "office."

ambtenaar

 * Dutch word for "official, registrar, civil servant, clerk."

American

 * A person from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America). It can also refer to a person from the United States.

American Civil War (1861-1865)

 * The war with the highest casualty rate in the history of the United States. It divided the United States into two factions. The Union was composed of northern states who supported maintaining the power of the federal government and abolishing slavery. The Confederacy was composed of southern states who believed in maintaining more power at the state level and preserving slavery. Also called the War between the States and the War of Secession.

American Genealogical Biographical Index

 * A source containing over 12 million brief citations of individuals and families, mainly from New England, who are mentioned in manuscripts, periodicals, family histories, town and county histories, and published military records.

American Indians

 * The original inhabitants of North and South America. Also called Native Americans. In Canada the original inhabitants, Native Americans and Inuit (Eskimos), are often referred to as First Peoples or First Nations.

American Loyalist

 * An American colonist who remained loyal to the King of England during the Revolutionary War. Many Loyalists moved to Florida, the Caribbean Islands (including Cuba), Canada, or back to England after the Revolutionary War.

American Lutheran Church Archives

 * The central archives of the American Lutheran Church.

American State Papers, Land Grants and Claims

 * A published collection of about 80,000 diverse land claims, such as claims for state, Indian, and militia bounty lands. It does not contain information about land granted to war veterans.

ami(e)

 * French word for "friend."

amico, -a

 * Italian word for "friend."

amigo (a)

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "friend."

Amish

 * Members of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church who followed the strict teachings of Jakob Ammann and broke from the Swiss Mennonites in the late 1600s. Many began migrating to America in 1720 and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The "old order" followed strict practices that included severely plain dress and the shunning of electricity and telephones. After 1850 many "new-order" groups broke off to follow more modern practices. Today the largest old-order settlements are in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.

amita

 * Latin word for "aunt, father's sister."

amitinus

 * Latin word for "cousin, (child of father's sister)."

amma

 * Icelandic word for "grandmother."

Amman

 * German word for "bailiff, magistrate."

ammatti

 * Finnish word for "profession, occupation."

amministratore

 * Italian word for "steward, manager."

amministrazione

 * Italian word for "administration."

amo

 * Spanish word for "master, owner."

amogliato

 * Italian word for "took a wife."

amonestaciones

 * Spanish word for "marriage banns."

amptenaar

 * Afrikaans word for "official."

Amt

 * The Danish word for county.
 * German word for "office, district"
 * Norwegian word for "county"

amtmand

 * Danish word for "chief county administrator."

amtmann

 * Norwegian word for "chief county administrator."

Amtsgericht, Germany

 * A local court in Germany.

an (année)

 * French word for "year."

Anabaptist

 * A religious movement that developed in Zurich, Switzerland, during the 16th century under the influence of Huldrych Zwingli. The Anabaptists, whose name means "rebaptizer," believed that infant baptism was blasphemous because people could not be punished for sin until they had developed an awareness of good and evil. Hence, though it was illegal, many Anabaptists were baptized a second time as adults. Anabaptists also believed in a separation of church and state, opposed war, and refused to swear oaths. The Mennonite and Amish faiths developed from the Anabaptist movement.

anabaptiste

 * French word for "Mennonite."

Anbauer

 * German word for "peasant."

Ancestor

 * An individual from whom one is descended.

Ancestor passport, Germany

 * A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified in civil registration records. The German word for this type of record is Ahnenpaß.

ancestral

 * Portuguese word for "ancestor."

Ancestral File™

 * A computer file containing names and often other vital information (such as date and place of birth, marriage, or death) of millions of individuals who have lived throughout the world. Names are organized into family groups and pedigrees. To allow for coordination of research, the file also lists names and addresses of those who contributed to the file. Ancestral File™ is part of FamilySearch®.

Ancestral File™ number

 * A number used to identify each record in Ancestral File.

anche

 * Italian word for "also."

anciano (a)

 * Spanish word for "elderly."

ancilla

 * Latin word for "female servant."

ancillus

 * Latin word for "male servant."

ancora

 * Italian word for "yet, still."

andarteppa

 * Icelandic word for "croup."

andast

 * Icelandic word for "die."

andaður, andaðir (plural)

 * Icelandic word "deceased (male), dead."

andedictus

 * Latin word for "aforesaid."

anden

 * Danish word for "second."

anden gang

 * Danish word for "second time."

anden, andet

 * Danish word for "second, another."

ander(s), Afrikaans

 * Afrikaans word for "different, other(s)."

ander(s), Dutch

 * Dutch word for "other."

andere

 * German word for "other, next."

anders genoem

 * Afrikaans word for "alias, also known as, differently called."

anders genoemd

 * Dutch word for "alias, also known as."

andiamo

 * Italian word for "right away, immediately."

andlega vanheill

 * Icelandic word for "mentally deficient, weak-minded."

andra

 * Swedish word for "second, others."

andre, Danish

 * Danish word for "others."

andre, French

 * French word for "others, other, next."

Andrea Leonardo Collection

 * A collection of research files about South Carolina families.

andtäppa

 * Swedish word for "shortness of breath, asthma."

andvana fæddur

 * Icelandic word for "stillborn child."

anetavle, Danish

 * Danish word for "pedigree."

anetavle, Norwegian

 * Norwegian word for "pedigree chart."

anfald

 * Danish word for "seizures."

anfall, Norwegian

 * Norwegian word for "seizure, attack."

anfall, Swedish

 * Swedish word for "seizure(s)."

anførelse

 * Danish word for "statement, quotation."

anført

 * Danish word for "entered, mentioned."

anførte

 * Norwegian word for "entered, mentioned."

Angeber

 * German word for "informant."

angeblich

 * German word for "alleged, assumed."

angiven

 * Swedish word for "given, stated."

anglais(e)

 * French word for "English."

anglia

 * Latin word for "England."

Anglican Church

 * A group of churches that are part of the Anglican Communion, which developed from the Church of England. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the United States are also members of the Anglican Communion. Anglican beliefs are based on the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and follow the Book of Common Prayer, which outlines doctrine, discipline, and worship. National churches can revise the Book of Common Prayer to suit the needs of members in the country.

Anglican Communion

 * An international group of loosely organized, self-governing churches whose doctrines and practices are based on the Church of England. The major churches in the communion are the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Anglo-American

 * An English-speaking person of European descent who is living in the United States.

angol

 * Hungarian word for "English."

Angola

 * A term used in Brazilian Catholic Church registers to describe an African from Angola. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

ani

 * Czech word for "not even."

anima

 * Latin word for "soul, spirit." Animam reddidit domino suo means "he/she returned the soul to his/her Lord (died)."

anime

 * Italian word for "parish census."

aniversario, Spanish

 * Spanish word for "anniversary."

aniversário, Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "anniversary, birthday."

anjo

 * Portuguese word for "angel, deceased child."

ankom

 * Swedish word for "came, arrived."

ankomst

 * Danish and Norwegian word for "arrival."

anmerkning

 * Norwegian word for "remark, notice, note."

Anmerkungen

 * German word for "remarks."

anmärkningar

 * Swedish word for "remarks, annotations."

anmærkning

 * Danish word for "remark, notice, note."

annan

 * Swedish word for "other."

annar

 * Icelandic word for "second."

Anne Lea Nicholson Collection

 * A collection of documented family group records prepared by Anne Lea Nicholson. It is one of the first sources that should be checked for families from Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Camden, and Cumberland counties in New Jersey and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania.

annegato

 * Italian word for "drowned."

annen gang

 * Norwegian word for "second time."

annen, annet

 * Norwegian word for "second, another."

annettu

 * Finnish word for "given."

Annexed

 * "Attached, attached to." For example: The United States annexed Texas in 1845.

anni

 * Italian word for "years."

anniversaire

 * French word for "anniversary."

anniversario

 * Italian word for "anniversary."

anno

 * Italian and Norwegian word for "year."

anno (Latin)

 * Danish word for "year."

anno domini

 * Latin word for "in the year of (our) Lord."

anno incarnationis

 * Latin word for "in the year (since/of) the incarnation (of the Lord)."

anno, Latin

 * Latin word for "in the year (of)."

annonsere

 * Norwegian word for "publish, announce."

annotazioni

 * Italian word for "annotations."

annuaire

 * French word for "directory."

Annual report

 * A report completed by stake, ward, branch, or mission clerks in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (The annual report from a branch may have been completed separately or as part of a mission report.) It lists the blessings, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, ordinations, missionary service, and divorces that occur in a stake, ward, branch, or mission during a given year. These reports were used from 1907 into the 1970s. In the United States and Canada, they were used until 1976. Also called Form E or Form 42FP.

Annual return

 * A yearly report made by the administrator or executor of an estate to a probate court.

annuale

 * Italian word for "annual, yearly."

Annuals Index

 * One of two indexes that comprise the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). The Annuals Index is a subject index to articles that appeared in genealogical periodicals published in 1986 or later. This index is also on microfiche at the Family History Library™ (FHL fiche 6016864).

annuel

 * French word for "annual, yearly."

Annuity payment

 * A record that documents the payment of an annuity, which is a payment that is made annually or regularly at another interval.

annus

 * Latin word for "year."

annus bissextus

 * Latin word for "leap year."

ano, Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "year."

anoppi

 * Finnish word for "mother-in-law."

Anspänner

 * German word for "farmer."

antal

 * Danish word for "number, count."

antall

 * Norwegian word for "number, count."

antavla

 * Swedish word for "pedigree chart."

ante

 * Latin word for "before, in front of, prior to."

ante meridiane

 * Italian word for "before noon."

ante meridiem

 * Latin word for "before noon (A.M.)."

antenato, -i

 * Italian word for "ancestor(s)."

antepasado (a)

 * Spanish word for "ancestor."

antepassado (a)

 * Portuguese word for "ancestor."

anterior

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "former, previous."

antes

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "before."

Anti-Burghers Church, Scotland

 * A church that formed out of the Secession Church in 1745. The Anti-Burghers believed that communion should be withheld from people who took the Burgess Oath, which contained a clause that the Anti-Burghers believed gave approval to the Established Church. In 1820 the Burghers and Anti-Burghers reunited.

antigo (a)

 * Portuguese word for "old, ancient."

antiguo (a)

 * Spanish word for "old, ancient."

antiquus

 * Latin word for "old, senior."

Antirent movement, New York

 * A movement that began in 1839 when tenant farmers in New York revolted against the manorial (leasehold) system and the wealthy landowners who had inherited their land from ancestors who lived in the 1600s and 1700s. The tenant farmers had lived on the land for generations and felt that they rightfully owned it. Many farmers had not paid their rent for years, and in 1839 landowners tried to collect back rent. However, angry farmers, disguised as Native Americans, began terrorizing the landowners and county officials in Columbia and Delaware Counties. The farmers formed secret societies that became powerful enough to defeat any political party that opposed them. In 1846 the antirenters had the New York constitution amended in their favor, and the farms were handed over to the tenants in 1847, marking the end of the patroonship system in New York.

anual

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "annual."

anuario, Spanish

 * Spanish word for "yearbook."

anuário, Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "yearbook."

anya

 * Hungarian word for "mother."

anyakönyv

 * Hungarian word for "register of births, marriages, and deaths; church book; parish register."

anyós

 * Hungarian word for "mother-in-law."

anzidetta

 * Italian word for "aforesaid."

anzitutto

 * Italian word for "first of all, initially."

ao

 * Portuguese word for "to the (masculine)."

août

 * French word for "August."

apa

 * Hungarian word for "father."

Apache Indians

 * A group of Native American tribes of the southwestern United States.

aparecer

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "to appear."

apelido

 * Portuguese word for "name, nickname."

apellido

 * Spanish word for "surname."

apenas

 * Portuguese word for "only."

aphotækar

 * Icelandic word for "pharmacist."

apodo

 * Spanish word for "nickname."

apoplexia

 * Latin word for "stroke."

aposentado (a)

 * Portuguese word for "retired."

aposentadoria

 * Portuguese word for "retirement."

Apostolies

 * Afrikaans word for "Apostolic."

apostolisch

 * German and Dutch word for "Apostolic."

apostólico (a)

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "apostolic."

appartenenza religiosa

 * Italian word for "religious affiliation."

appartiene

 * Italian word for "pertains."

apparu

 * French word for "appeared."

Appearance docket

 * A book containing minutes or abstracts of court appearances.

Appellate jurisdiction

 * The authority of a court to review and revise decisions made by lower courts.

appelé(e)

 * French word for "named."

appena

 * Italian word for "as soon as."

appi

 * Finnish word for "father-in-law."

appivanhemmat

 * Finnish word for "parents-in-law."

Application, land

 * A formal, written request submitted by an individual seeking a land grant.

Application, organization

 * A formal, written request to become a member of an organization.

Applications for Passage Warrants (Series L), Canada

 * A list of the names of immigrants in Ontario, Canada, whose passage was paid by sponsors.

Appointment to public office

 * The act of assigning, as opposed to electing, an individual to serve in a government position.

Appraisal

 * The process of determining the value of property, such as a deceased individual’s estate or a document stating the value of property.

Appraisement

 * The estimated value of property.

Appraiser

 * An individual who determines the value of property. When determining the value of a deceased individual's estate, appraisers use an inventory to estimate the estate's value.

apprendista

 * Italian word for "apprentice."

apprenti

 * French word for "apprentice."

Apprentice

 * An individual, usually a child, who was legally bound to the master of a trade to work for the master and learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.

Apprentice indenture

 * A record that documents an agreement between a master and an apprentice or the apprentice's legal guardian.

Apprentice record

 * Documentation about an apprenticeship, which was a legal arrangement in which an individual, usually a child, worked for the master of a trade to learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.

Apprenticeship tax, Britain

 * A tax assessed on the money a master received for an apprenticeship indenture. This tax was assessed from 1710 to 1811. Apprentices put out by a parish or charity were exempt from the tax.

appresso

 * Italian word for "after, the next."

approuvé

 * French word for "approved."

aprendiz

 * Portuguese and Spanish word for "apprentice."

april

 * Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "April."

April

 * Dutch and German word for "April."
 * Afrikaans word for "April."

aprile

 * Italian word for "April."

aprilis

 * Latin word for "of April."

aproximado (a),, Portuguese

 * Portuguese word for "approximate."

aproximado (a), Spanish

 * Spanish word for "approximate."

après

 * French word for "after."

après-demain

 * French word for "the day after tomorrow."

après-midi

 * French word for "afternoon."

apríl

 * Icelandic word for "April."

apteekkari

Finnish word for "pharmacist, druggist."

apud

Latin word for "at the house of, at, by, near."

apéndice, Spanish

Spanish word for "appendix."

apêndice, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "appendix."

após, Hungarian

Hungarian word for "father-in-law."

após, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "after."

apótekari

Icelandic word for "pharmacy."

aqua

Latin word for "water."

aquel (la)

Spanish word for "that."

aquele (a),

Portuguese word for "that."

aquí

Portuguese and Spanish word for "here."

araldica

Italian word for "heraldry."

Arapaho Indians

A tribe of Native Americans living in the Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Texas.

aratore

Italian word for "plowman."

arbeider

Afrikaans, Dutch and Norwegian word for "laborer."

Arbeiter

German word for "laborer, worker."

arbejder

Danish word for "laborer."

arbetare

Swedish word for "worker, laborer."

arbre généalogique

French word for "family tree, pedigree."

Archaic word

 * A word that is no longer used or that has a meaning that has changed substantially over time.

Archdeacon's court, Church of England

 * An English ecclesiastical court with jurisdiction over an archdeaconry. These courts frequently handled probates.

Archdeaconry

 * An ecclesiastical division within a diocese that is headed by an archdeacon. It may consist of one or more rural deaneries.

Archdeacons' transcripts

Copies of parish registers sent by Church of England parish ministers to their archdeacons each year. An archdeacon was the church official over an archdeaconry, which was part of a diocese. An archdeacon was under the authority of the Bishop of the diocese.

Archdiocese

An ecclesiastical division that is headed by an archbishop.

archidiaconus

Latin word for "archdeacon."

archief

Dutch word for "archive."

archiepiscopus

Latin word for "archbishop."

Archiv

German word for "archive."

Archival quality

Acid-free folders, acid-free boxes, and archival-safe plastic sleeves made of polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene are archival quality and the only safe way to store documents and photographs.

Archive

 * A place where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents. Also used in the plural.

Archive Section of the Family Group Records Collection

 * A portion of the Family Group Records Collection that contains five million family group records submitted by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1942 and 1969. Information from these records has been added to the International Genealogical Index®.

archives

French word for "archive."

Archives and Libraries, Family History Library Catalog™

 * A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize information about other archives (places where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents) and libraries (places that contains books, manuscripts, music, art, and other reference materials).

Archives du Royaume

French word for "state archives (Belgium)."

Archives départementales, France

 * The French term for departmental archive. These archives collect records for a department of the French government. Departmental archives have most of the French records of genealogical value, including civil registration records, pre-1792 church records, census records, some notarial records, and military conscription records.

Archives Nationales

French word for "state archives (France)".

archivi

Italian word for "archives."

archivi di stato

Italian word for "state archives."

archivo

Spanish word for "archive."

archivum

Latin word for "archive."

archiwum

Polish word for "archive."

archív

Czech word for "archive."

arcularius

Latin word for "carpenter."

Julia Hoge Spencer Ardery Collection (Ardery collection)

A collection of abstracted court records, deeds, family Bibles, family histories, and correspondence about families from Kentucky and Virginia.

argief

Afrikaans word for "archive."

Arid

Dry, lacking in water, a desert.

Arizona Territory, USA

 * A territory organized in 1863 that comprised the present-day state of Arizona and part of Nevada. Many of the settlers in the area were from Confederate states, so in 1862 they applied to become a Confederate territory. The Confederate government sent troops to occupy New Mexico and Arizona and granted the request of the settlers. This action had little effect because Union forces defeated Confederate forces in New Mexico and Arizona. The United States Congress created the Arizona Territory in 1863 to retain control over the area.

Ark

 * One of the two ships that brought Catholic and Protestant English settlers to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in 1634. The other ship was named the Dove. The settlers founded St. Mary's City. King Charles I had originally granted the Maryland region to George Calvert, who died before the king could sign the charter, so the king granted the charter to Calvert's son Cecelius. Cecelius, himself a Roman Catholic, believed in religious freedom and saw to it that law and policies were established to guarantee that right in Maryland.

arkisto

Finnish word for "archive."

arkistoluettelo

Finnish word for "archive list."

arkiv

Danish and Swedish word for "archive."

arm

German word for "poor."

arma

Latin word for "coat of arms."

armentarius

Latin word for "herdsman."

armiger

Latin word for "gentleman, squire."

Armiger

 * A person entitled to use a coat of arms.

armoiries

French word for "coat of arms."

Armorial

 * An alphabetical list of people entitled to use a coat of arms. The armorial also describes the coat of arms. The term armorial can also refer to anything having to do with heraldry.

armorum

Latin word for "of coats of arms."

Armut

German word for "poverty."

Army

 * The branch of a nation's armed forces that is trained to fight on land.

Aroostook War (Maine)

A dispute in 1839 about the boundary between the state of Maine and what is now the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Troops were called out, but there was no battle. The boundary was finally settled by a treaty between the United States and Britain in 1842.

arpent

French word for "acre."

arpenteur

French word for "surveyor."

arpète

French word for "errand boy, apprentice."

arquibispo

Portuguese word for "archbishop."

arquivo

Portuguese word for "archive."

arrendamiento

Spanish word for "rent."

arrendator

Swedish word for "tenant farmer, leaseholder."

arrivo

Italian word for "arrival, immigration."

arrière

French word for "great (as in great-grandparents)."

Arrondissement

An administrative division of some large cities in France or the largest division of a department in the French government.

arroz

Portuguese word for "rice."

artefice

Italian word for "maker."

Article, periodicals

 * A written work in a magazine or newspaper.

Artifact

 * An object. In terms of family history research, an artifact is an item that provides information about an ancestor’s life, such as tools, books, or jewelry.

Artificer

 * A mechanic in the British military who makes and repairs machinery.

arton

Swedish word for "eighteen."

artífice

Portuguese word for "journeyman."

arv

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "inheritance."

arve

Danish word for "inherit."

arvelodd

Norwegian word for "share of inheritance."

arving

Norwegian word for "heir."

arvinge

Swedish word for "heir."

arvo

Finnish word for "title, rank, status."

arvskifte

Swedish word for "distribution of an inherited estate."

arzobispo

Spanish word for "archbishop."

Arzt

German word for "physician."

As Enumerated, 1881 British Census

 * An index of the 1881 British census that is organized in the same order as the original census. It can help identify households and neighbors living on the same street.

ascendente

Portuguese word for "ancestor."

ascendiente

Spanish word for "ancestor."

ascesso

Italian word for "abscess."

ASCII

 * A type of data format for computers. ASCII contains a specified set of letters, numbers, characters, and spaces.

asema

Finnish word for "station, class, standing."

asevelvollinen

Finnish word for "conscript soldier."

asi

Czech word for "perhaps, about, maybe, circa."

asiakirja

Finnish word for "document, record."

asilo, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "asylum, poorhouse."

asilo, Spanish

Spanish word for "asylum, shelter."

asma

Afrikaans, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish word for "asthma."

asmi

Icelandic word for "asthma."

Assembly of God

 * The largest Pentecostal religion in the world. Its official name is the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Pentecostalism grew out of the religious revival of the early 1900s. Its doctrines include the infallibility of the Bible, the fall and redemption of man, divine healing through prayer, baptism by immersion, eternal punishment for the unsaved, and the return of Christ to rule on earth. Pentecostals believe that every Christian should be filled with the Holy Spirit.

assento

Portuguese word for "record, entry."

Assessment roll

 * A list of property owners, the value of their property, and the amount in taxes each owner owes.

assessore comunale

Italian word for "alderman."

assinatura

Portuguese word for "signature."

Assistant surgeon, British

 * An officer in the British army who helps the surgeon (doctor).

Assisted emigrant

 * Between 1815 and 1900, qualified emigrants received passage money or land grants in their destination country as an alternative to receiving poor relief. After 1840, New Zealand and Australia offered money or land grants to skilled workers to encourage immigration.

Assisted emigrants register

 * A record of people who applied for assistance to emigrate to a new country.

Assize court, England

 * A court in England that deals with more serious criminal cases. It existed from the 1200s to 1971 and consisted of twelve judges appointed by the Crown.

Association

 * An organization of people who have common interests or goals.

Association of Professional Genealogists

 * An organization for professional genealogists.

asszony, Hungarian

Hungarian word for "married woman, wife."

astma

Norwegian word for "asthma."

asua

Finnish word for "live, reside."

asuinpaikka

Finnish word for "place of residence."

asukas

Finnish word for "inhabitant, resident, lodger."

asunto

Finnish word for "residence."

asutuksen yleisluettelo

Finnish word for "general register of inhabitants."

asystencya

Polish word for "assistance."

aszkór

Hungarian word for "dehydration."

asztalos

Hungarian word for "cabinet maker; joiner; woodworker."

asztma

Hungarian word for "asthma."

at, Latin

Latin word for "but."

at, Norwegian

Norwegian word for "that."

ata

Portuguese word for "record, document."

atd.

Czech word for "and so forth."

Atlantic provinces, Canada

 * A grouping of Canadian provinces consisting of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Atlas

 * A book or computerized collection of geographical maps and charts.

atque

Latin word for "and."

atrás

Portuguese word for "behind, in back of."

att

Swedish word for "that (know that he died)."

attacco

Italian word for "seizure."

Attained

Achieved, reached a goal, as in Hawaii attained statehood.

attaque

French word for "seizure."

atten

Danish and Norwegian word for "eighteen."

attende

Danish and Norwegian word for "eighteenth."

attesa

Italian word for "awaiting."

attest

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "certificate."

atti diversi

Italian word for "miscellaneous records."

atto di matrimonio

Italian word for "marriage certificate."

atto di morte

Italian word for "death certificate."

atto di nascita

Italian word for "birth certificate."

atya

Hungarian word for "father."

au

French word for "at the, in the."

au dessus

French word for "over."

au matin

French word for "in the morning."

au même endroit

French word for "at the same place."

au soir

French word for "in the evening."

aubergiste

French word for "innkeeper."

auch

German word for "also, too."

aucun(e)

French word for "no, none."

Audencia, New Mexico

 * A Spanish term referring to a Mexican court of appeal that handled civil and criminal court cases in what is not the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

Audiencia

 * A regional court that functioned under a Spanish viceroyalty. These courts had legal, financial, and administrative powers. They supervised local courts, applied Spanish law, and served to establish a legal tradition that has persisted in Hispanic America.

Auditor's books

 * Books containing information about personal payments for provisions, sewing, nursing, and wagon use during the Revolutionary War. The records cover from 1784 to 1800.

auf

German word for "on, upon, at."

aufbieten

German word for "post banns."

Aufenthaltserlaubnis

German word for "residence permit."

Aufenthaltsort

German word for "residence."

Aufgebote, Germany

 * A German word for marriage banns or proclamations.

auglýsing

Icelandic word for "proclamation."

august

Danish and Norwegian word for "August."

August, German

German word for "August."

augusti

Latin and Swedish word for "of August."

Augustus

Dutch and Latin word for "August."

Augustus, Afrikaans (VIII)

Afrikaans word for "August."

augusztus

Hungarian word for "August."

aujourd'hui

French word for "today."

aukko

Finnish word for "gap (missing records)."

auparavant

French word for "former."

aurifaber

Latin word for "goldsmith."

auriga

Latin word for "driver."

aus

German word for "from, out of."

aussi

French word for "also, as, since."

austriacki

Polish word for "Austrian."

austriaco

Italian word for "Austrian."

Auswanderer

German word for "emigrant."

Auswanderung

German word for "emigration."

Auszehrung

German word for "consumption or emaciation (especially from TB)."

Auszug

German word for "extract."

aut

Latin word for "or."

autant

French word for "as much."

autem

Latin word for "but, however, moreover."

Author/Title Search

 * A type of search available in the microfiche version of the Family History Library Catalog™. Records are listed alphabetically by author and title. This search is not available in the computer version of the catalog.

Authority

 * The right and power to make decisions, take action, enforce law, or influence others.

autio

Finnish word for "uninhabited."

auto de fé, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "trial of faith, sentence handed down by the Inquisition."

auto de fé, Spanish

Spanish word for "sentence given by the Inquisition."

autorisation

French word for "permission."

autour

French word for "around."

autre

French word for "other."

auxentium

Latin word for "Alsace."

außen

German word for "outside."

außer Dienst (a.D.)

German word for "formerly employed, retired."

außerehelich

German word for "illegitimate."

av, Norwegian

Norwegian word for "of, at, by, from."

av, Swedish

Swedish word for "of."

ava

Latin word for "grandmother."

ava materna

Italian word for "maternal grandmother."

ava paterna

Italian word for "paternal grandmother."

avant

French word for "former, before."

avant-hier

French word for "the day before yesterday."

avant-veille

French word for "two days before."

avanti di

Italian word for "before."

avdeling

Norwegian word for "part, division."

avdød

Norwegian word for "deceased."

avec

French word for "with."

avere

Italian word for "to have."

Aveux

A French word for oaths. The term aveux et dénombrements refers to a specific type of land record used in Québec.

Aveux et dénombrements, Canada

 * A type of land record used in the mid-1700s in Québec, Canada, roughly translated as "land descriptions" or "censuses of land and inhabitants." The aveux et dénombrements list the name of the principal habitant (occupant) of each farm in each seigneurie (manor) but not family members or farm workers. The information required in this record was very precise and included the exact location of the land, its size, the streams that flowed through it, the number and condition of buildings and mills on the lands, the number of tenants and the rents they paid, and the acres of cultivable land.

avgangen

Norwegian word for "departed."

avgift, Norwegian

Norwegian word for "duty (monetary), fee."

avgift, Swedish

Swedish word for "fee."

avgång

Swedish word for "departure."

avgått

Swedish word for "moved."

avgått med döden

Swedish word for "died (departed through death)."

avi, Italian

Italian word for "ancestors."

avi, Latin

Latin word for "ancestors, grandparents."

avia

Latin word for "grandmother."

aviaticus

Latin word for "nephew."

avioero

Finnish word for "divorce."

avioliiton ulkopuolella (a.u.)

Finnish word for "illegitimate, out of wedlock."

avioliitto

Finnish word for "marriage."

avioliittoasiakirjat

Finnish word for "marriage documents."

aviomies

Finnish word for "husband."

avionrikkoja

Finnish word for "adulterer."

aviopari

Finnish word for "married couple."

aviopuoliso

Finnish word for "spouse."

avioton

Finnish word for "unmarried, illegitimate."

aviovaimo

Finnish word for "wife."

avkom

Norwegian word for "offspring, issue."

avliden

Swedish word for "deceased, death."

avo materno

Italian word for "maternal grandfather."

avo paterno

Italian word for "paternal grandfather."

avo, Italian

Italian word for "ancestor."

Avocat

 * A French term for lawyer.

avoir

French word for "to have."

avond ('s avonds)

Dutch word for "evening, (in the evening)."

Avondmaal

Dutch word for "communion, sacrament."

avons

French word for "(we) have."

avoro, -a

Italian word for "grandfather (grandmother)."

avril

French word for "April."

avskedad

Swedish word for "discharged, resigned."

avsomna

Swedish word for "die, death."

avtale

Norwegian word for "agreement."

avunculus

Latin word for "uncle (mother's brother)."

avus

Latin word for "grandfather."

avvocato

Italian word for "lawyer."

avó, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "grandmother."

avô, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "grandfather."

avôs

Portuguese word for "grandparents."

Award books

 * Records of land grants given to settlers in Hawaii between 1836 and 1855.

ayant

French word for "having."

ayer

Spanish word for "yesterday."

ayuntamiento

Spanish word for "city hall, town government."

az

Hungarian word for "the."

azok

Hungarian word for "they."

azonkívül

Hungarian word for "besides, in addition to."

azul

Portuguese and Spanish word for "blue."

azúcar

Spanish word for "sugar."

açúcar

Portuguese word for "sugar."

aîné (l'aîné)

French word for "the older, senior."

aïeul

French word for "grandfather."

aïeule

French word for "grandmother."

aðkominn, aðkomnir

Icelandic word for "arrivals, guests."

año, Spanish

Spanish word for "year."

aún

Spanish word for "still."

à

French word for "at, to in."

à cet endroit

French word for "in this place."

à cinq heures

French word for "at 5 o'clock."

à jour

French word for "current."

à, Portuguese

Portuguese word for "to the, toward the (feminine)."

às horas

Portuguese word for "at o'clock."

á morgun

Icelandic word for "tomorrow."

á, Icelandic

Icelandic word for "on, at."

áar

Icelandic word for "ancestors."

ács

Hungarian word for "carpenter."

ág

Hungarian word for "branch, line."

ágostai (ág.)

Hungarian word for "Evangelical (Lutheran)."

ágostai (ág.)

Hungarian word for "Evangelical (Lutheran)."

ágyból származó

Hungarian word for "legitimacy status."

ágyrajáró

Hungarian word for "lodger."

ágúst

Icelandic word for "August."

ái

Icelandic word for "ancestor."

állami

Hungarian word for "civil, state."

állandó

Hungarian word for "permanent."

állapot

Hungarian word for "status, civil status, condition."

állapota

Hungarian word for "status of."

állapotos

Hungarian word for "pregnant."

állás

Hungarian word for "occupation, condition."

április

Hungarian word for "April."

ár

Icelandic word for "year."

árbol

Spanish word for "tree."

árbol genealógico

Spanish word for "genealogical tree."

árva

Hungarian word for "orphan."

árvore

Portuguese word for "tree."

árvore genealógica

Portuguese word for "genealogical tree."

át, Hungarian

Hungarian word for "through."

átján

Icelandic word for "eighteen."

átjándi

Icelandic word for "eighteenth."

átta

Icelandic word for "eight."

áttatíu

Icelandic word for "eighty."

áttugasti

Icelandic word for "eightieth."

áttundi

Icelandic word for "eighth."

áttértek

Hungarian word for "persons converted."

áttérés

Hungarian word for "conversion."

âgé(e)

French word for "aged."

äga

Swedish word for "own."

ägare

Swedish word for "owner."

ägor

Swedish word for "land, property."

äidinisä

Finnish word for "grandfather (maternal)."

äidinäiti

Finnish word for "grandmother (maternal)."

äiditön

Finnish word for "motherless."

äiti

Finnish word for "mother."

äitipuoli

Finnish word for "stepmother."

äkta

Swedish word for "legitimate."

äktenskap

Swedish word for "marriage."

äldre

Swedish word for "older, elder."

äldste

Swedish word for "oldest, eldset, elder."

ältest

German word for "eldest."

ämbete

Swedish word for "office."

änka

Swedish word for "widow."

änkeman, änkling

Swedish word for "widower."

ännu

Swedish word for "yet, still."

äpärä

Finnish word for "illegitimate child."

är

Swedish word for "are, is, am."

ärlig, Swedish

Swedish word for "honest."

ätt

Swedish word for "family."

äußere

German word for "outside, outward, external."

å

Swedish word for "at, on, to, river."

åbo

Swedish word for "tenant farmer with conditional, inherited lease."

ålder

Swedish word for "age."

ålderdom

Swedish word for "old age."

ånd

Norwegian word for "spirit."

åndsvag

Danish word for "mentally deficient."

åndsvak

Norwegian word for "mentally deficient."

år

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "year."

århundrade

Swedish word for "century."

århundre

Norwegian word for "century."

årlig

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish word for "yearly, annual."

årsak

Norwegian word for "cause, reason."

årsdag

Danish word for "anniversary."

årtionde

Swedish word for "decade."

åsted

Norwegain word for "where event took place (place of event)."

åt, Swedish

Swedish word for "to."

återvänd

Swedish word for "returned."

åtta

Swedish word for "eight."

åtte

Norwegian word for "eight."

åttende, Norwegian

Norwegian word for "eighth."

åtti

Norwegian word for "eighty."

åttiede

Norwegian word for "eightieth."

åttio(nde)

Swedish word for "eighty (eightieth)."

åttonde

Swedish word for "eighth."

ægtabarn

Icelandic word for "legitimate child."

ægtaviigder

Icelandic word for "married, marriages."

ægte

Danish word for "legitimate."

ægtefælle

Danish word for "spouse."

ægteskab

Danish word for "marriage."

ægteskabelig

Danish word for "marital, conjugal."

ægteskapsbryder

Danish word for "adulterer."

ægteviet

Danish word for "married."

ælder

Danish word for "elder."

ældre

Danish word for "older, elder."

ældst

Danish word for "oldest, eldest."

ærbødig

Norwegian word for "respectful."

ære

Norwegian word for "honor."

ærlig

Danish and Norwegian word for "honest."

æsing

Icelandic word for "inflammation, agitation."

ættegransking

Norwegian word for "genealogy."

ættfaðir

Icelandic word for "ancestor."

æði

Icelandic word for "panic."

æðislegur

Icelandic word for "in panic."