Have you ever encountered an unfamiliar or archaic word when you are conducting genealogical research? Perhaps you read the cause of death on an ancestor's death certificate and wanted to learn more. Or perhaps you found a genealogical abbreviation/acronym that you could not readily decipher. Maybe you are researching in an unfamiliar language and need to know the common genealogy terms that are used. Thankfully, there are a lot of resources that can help you navigate these unfamiliar situations and the complex jargon.
In order to help you find the appropriate definitions, we have identified a few promising resources. You may find that you have to consult several, as none will be comprehensive.
- Concise Genealogical Dictionary by Maureen and Glen Harris (for Ancestry)
- This ebook (available with a free Archive.org account) defines many of the genealogical terms you may encounter. It is a good work to have readily available.
- "Glossary & Definitions" from American Ancestors
- This is a one-page document that defines some of the most common genealogical terms you may encounter. It can be a good way to start for those who are newer to genealogy.
- "Glossary of Genealogical Terms" from Ancestry
- This is a fairly extensive online glossary, including some abbreviations. You can click on the letters at the top of the page to scroll to the relevant sections.
- "Acronyms and Abbreviations" from FamilySearch
- This is a helpful list of common abbreviations and acronyms that you may have encountered in a genealogical publication or resource. Remember, C is for circa. (approximately)!
- "List of Some 18th and 19th Century American Nicknames" from RAOGK
- Did you know that Peg can be short for Margaret, or Polly can be short for Mary? This list of common nicknames and abbreviations can be very helpful for learning the full name of an ancestor and unlocking other information about them.
- "Dictionary of Genealogy & Archaic Terms" from RootsWeb
- This is an online dictionary which identifies and describes some additional archaic genealogical terms and buzzwords that are commonly used. This includes some Latin and other languages.
Regarding unfamiliar/outdated medical terms, FamilySearch has a wiki page about "Historic Causes of Death" with links to various online glossaries and webpages. These list many of the terms that you may have encountered and give a definition and/or more modern term for the illness/disease. This can be super helpful for better understanding what your ancestor's cause of death was. It may give you insight into your own heath history as well.
If you are looking to identify common genealogical terms in another language, FamilySearch also has various wiki pages that do a great job with this. Check out the "Genealogical Word Lists" for links to many different languages. We also have resources in the library's genealogy collection at Cook Park Library which go even further.
While we cannot identify and list all of the available resources, hopefully this will get you started. You are welcome to reach out with specific questions, and we will be happy to help.
No comments:
Post a Comment