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Latin-English Translation of Genealogical Terms
Curtesy of the : Comunes.of.Italy Mailing List

abavus 2nd great grandfather
affinitas relationship by marriage
agnatus related by blood on the male side
alius/a/ud other
alter/era/erum the other of two
ambo/ae/o both
amita father's sister
amita magna grandfather's sister, grandaunt
anima soul, spirit
annus year
anno in the year
anno Domini in the year of the Lord
atavus 3rd great grandfather
avunculus mother's brother, uncle
avus grandfather
avi (pl.) grandparents
banni marriage banns
baptisma baptism
baptisavit he baptized
baptisatus/a baptized
" est he(or she) was baptized
caelebs single, unmarried (man)
capellanus chaplain
cognatio blood relatoinship
cognomen surname
commater godmother
comparere to appear
comparuit pro me he/she appeared before me
compater godfather
conceptus/a/um conceived
concepta est she was pregnant
coniunx (coniux) husband or wife
pl. coniuges married couple
consanguinitas blood relationship
(if too close, an impediment to marriage)
consobrinus/a cousin on the mother's side
contrahere to contract, to draw together
matrimonium contraxerunt=they contracted marriage
copulatio marriage
copulatus/a married man/woman
copulatus/a est he/she was married
coram in the presence of
corpus body
cum with
decessit he/she died
decessus death
defunctus/a/um dead
denunciatio publication of the marriage banns
factis tribus after 3 publications of the banns,
denunciationibus 3 banns having been published
desponsus/a betrothed
Deus God
didymus/a twin male/female
dies day
die day (a form used after certain prepositions)
discessit he/she died
dominus lord
domus home
dos dowry
ecclesia church
ego I
eiusdem the same
eodem die on the same day
erat he/she/it was
est he/she/it is
et and
etiam also
e, ex from
femina woman
filia daughter
filia fratris/sororis niece, daugher of brother/sister
filius son
filius fratris/sororis nephew, son of brother/sister
frater brother
frater germanus twin brother
fuit he/she/it was
fu dead
fuerunt they were
gemellus/a twin
geminus/a twin
gener son-in-law, cousin
genitum begotten, born
gens male line, clan
genus type, kind, birth, descent, sex, origin,
class, race
generis of the type, sex, etc.
germana sister
germanus brother
gravida pregnant
habere to have, to hold]
habitare to reside
habitans resident (adj.)
habitantes residents
hebdomada a week
heri yesterday
hic, haec, hoc this
hoc die/mense/anno on this day/month/year
huius of this
humatio burial
homo man, human being
humatus/a he/she was buried
ibidem in the same place
idem, eadem, iden the same
ignotus/a unknown
ille, illa illud that
ilius of that
illegitimus illegitimate
impedimentum impediment or hindrance (as to a marriage)
" consanguinitas " of too close a blood relationship
(2nd cousin or closer)
nulloque detecto impedimento matrimonio=
and no marital impediment having been uncovered
imponere to place upon, to impose
impositus/a/um imposed, placed upon, given
cui impositum est nomen=to whom was given the name
infans infant
inuptus/a unmarried
infra below, later
infrascriptus written below
intra within
ipse/a/um himself/herself/itself
ita thus, so
item also, likewise

before a vowel, i often written as j, as in th ff.

iunior(or junior) younger
iure (or jure) etc. legally
iurare to swear, take an oath
ius, iures law, laaws
iuvenis young person

lavare to wash, to baptize
lautus/a est he/she was baptized
levantes godparents
liber, libri book, books
liber baptizatorum baptismal register
liber defunctorum death register
liber matrimoniorm marriage register
ligatus/a est he/she was joined or married
locus place
majorennis of legal age
majores ancestors
mane in tne morning
manu propria (signed) in one's own hand
marita wife
maritus husband
mater mother
mater meretrix mother of illegitimate child
matertera maternal aunt
matrimonium marriage
mensis month
mense in the month (of)
meridies noon
minimus/a natu youngest
meus/a/um my, mine
morbus disease
post longum morbum after a long illness
mors death
mortis of death
mortuus/a/um dead, deceased
mortuus/a est he/she died
mulier woman, wife
sacramentis totiis fortified by all the last rites
munitiis
mutuo consensu by mutual consent
nascit he/she is born
natalis natal
natus/a born (adj.), son/daughter (noun)
natus/a est he/she was born
nepos grandson, nephew
neptis granddaughter
nocte at night
nomen name
nullus/a/um no, none
nuptus/a married

obiit he/she died
obstetrix midwife
omnis all, every
orbus/a orphan masc./fem
origo birth
originis of the birth
ortus origin, birth
parentes parents
parochia parish
parochus parish priest
partus childbirth
pater father
patres forefathers, ancestors
patrinus/a/i godfather/godmother/godparents
patruus paternal uncle
patruerlis paternal nephew
pie piously
post after
postridie on the day after
pridie on the day before
privignus/a stepson/stepdaughter of a father
pro in behalf of, for
proclamatio bann, decree
proles issue, child
proles spuria illegitimate child
pudicus/a chaste
puella girl
priores ancestors
proavus/a great grandfather/great grandmother
provincia province
puer boy
puerperium childbirth
purgatus/a cleansed, baptized

quasi almost, as if
qui, quae, quod who, which, what
quidam, quaedam a certain person (masc./fem.)
quoddam a certain thing
quondam formerly, sometime

relictus/a widower/ widow
renatus/a reborn, baptized
requiescat in pace may he/she rest in peace
ritus rite
de ritu sanctae according to the rite of the
matris ecclesiae holy mother church

sacerdos priest
sacer, sacra, sacrum sacred
sanctus/a/um holy,sacred
scorta unmarried mother, whore
scriptus/a/um written
semper always. forever
senior older
sepelire to bury
sepultus/a/um buried
sequens following
sic thus, so
signum mark
signum fecit he/she made a mark, signed
sine without
socer father-in-law
socrus mother-in-law
solemnicatio marriage
solutus/a/um unmarried (also free from debt)
soror sister
sororius brother-in-law (wife's brother)
sponsalia marriage banns
sponsalis betrothed (adj.)
sponsus/a groom/bride. spouse, betrothed
spurius/a illegitimate
stemma (gentile) pedigree
stuprata pregnant out of wedlock
stuprator father of illegitimate child
sub tutela under guardianship
subscripsit he/she signed
subsignavit he/she signed with a mark
sum I am
sunt they were
supra above
ut supra as above
susceptores godparents
suus/a/um his/her/its/their own

tempus time
testamentum will, testament
testis witness
triduum a period of three days
trigemini triplets
tutor guardian

ubi where
ultimus/a/um last
unigena only begotten daughter
unigentius only begotten son
urbs city
ut as, so that, in order that
ut infra as below
ut supra as above
uxor wife

vel (vel...vel) or (either....or)
vespere in the evening
vetus, veteris old
viduus/vidua widower/widow
videlicet (viz.) namely
vir man, male
virgo virgin, female, girl
virtuosus/a/um honorable
vita life
vita cessit he/she departed from life, died
vulgo commonly, generally

Also useful are the Months: 

Januarius
Februarius
Martius
Aprilis
Maius
Iunius
Iulius or Quinctilis
Augustus
September (VII-ber)
October (VIII-ber)
November (IX-ber)
December (X-ber)

Numbers Cardinal Ordinal

1 unus/a/um primus/a/um
2 duo,duae,duo secundus/a/um
3 tres, tria tertius/a/um
4 quattuor quartus etc.
5 quinque quintus
6 sex sextus
7 septem septimus
8 octo octavus
9 novem nonus
10 decem decimus
11 undecim undecimus
12 duodecim duodecimus
13 tredecim tertius decimus
14 quattordecim quartus decimus
15 quindecim quintus decimus
16 sedecim sextus decimus
17 septendecim septimus decimus
18 duodeviginti duodevice(n)simus
19 unodeviginti unodevice(n)simus
20 viginti vice(n)simus
30 triginta trice(n)simus
40 quadraginta quadrage(n)simus
50 quinquaginta quinquage(n)simus


The Termini Imerese Database

Home of the Sicilian Ancestry Ring

Comunes of Italy Database

Thanks to: Laura L. Johnson
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