Old record word lists
Most of our ancestors' records weren't written in English. These lists cover the handful of words you need to read a baptism, marriage or burial entry, plus the month names, including the old ones.
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Dutch words in old records
Months
| January | januari (louwmaand) |
| February | februari (sprokkelmaand) |
| March | maart (lentemaand) |
| April | april (grasmaand) |
| May | mei (bloeimaand) |
| June | juni (zomermaand) |
| July | juli (hooimaand) |
| August | augustus (oogstmaand) |
| September | september (herfstmaand) |
| October | oktober (wijnmaand) |
| November | november (slachtmaand) |
| December | december (wintermaand) |
Record words
| born | geboren |
| baptized / christened | gedoopt |
| married | getrouwd / gehuwd |
| died | overleden |
| buried | begraven |
| birth | geboorte |
| baptism | doop |
| marriage | huwelijk (ondertrouw = intent to marry) |
| death | overlijden |
| burial | begrafenis |
| father | vader |
| mother | moeder |
| son | zoon |
| daughter | dochter |
| child | kind |
| husband | man / echtgenoot |
| wife | vrouw / echtgenote / huisvrouw |
| widow | weduwe |
| widower | weduwnaar |
| parents | ouders |
| godparents | doopgetuigen / peter en meter |
| witnesses | getuigen |
| illegitimate | onwettig / natuurlijk kind |
| twins | tweeling |
| aged (age) | oud |
| years | jaren |
| parish | parochie / gemeente |
| church | kerk |
| record / register | akte / register |
| unmarried | ongehuwd / jongman / jongedochter |
| the late (deceased) | wijlen |
| farmer | landbouwer / boer |
| laborer / servant | arbeider / dienstbode |
- Civil records (burgerlijke stand) start in 1811 across most of the Netherlands; before that, use church books (DTB: doop, trouw, begraven).
- A patronymic like Pieterszn or Jansdr means son or daughter of Pieter or Jan. Fixed surnames became law in 1811.
- “jongman” and “jongedochter” mean a never-married man and woman.
29For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead— 30For this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me, only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me.
Questions
What does 7bris or 9ber mean in a date?
It's Latin shorthand that many languages used: 7bris = September, 8bris = October, 9bris = November, Xbris = December. The old Roman year started in March, so September was the seventh month.
Do I need to speak the language to read a record?
Usually not. Baptism, marriage and burial entries repeat the same twenty or thirty words, so a short list and a little patience go a long way.
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