In genealogical research Latin terms are often encountered in church records and legal documents, this list is intended to aid the genealogist in interpreting those terms.
abavia - 2nd great grandmother, female ascendant in the fourth degree
abavus - 2nd great grandfather, male ascendant in the fourth degree
abnepos - 2nd great grandson, male descendant in the fourth degree
abneptis - 2nd great granddaughter, female descendant in the fourth degree
adnepos - 3rd great grandson, male descendant in the fifth degree
affines - relatives by marriage, in-laws
affinitas - relationship by marriage
agnati - paternal relations
agnatus - related by blood on the male side
alimenta/o - provision made for made for younger sons or unmarried daughters
alius/a/ud - other
alter/era/erum - the other of two
ambo/ae/o - both
amita - father's sister, aunt
amita magna - grandfather's sister, grandaunt
amita uxoris - wife's father's sister
anima - soul, spirit
annus - year
anno - in the year
anno Domini - in the year of the Lord
arbor consanguinitatis - family tree
atavus - 3rd great grandfather, male ascendant in the fifth degree
avunculus - mother's brother, uncle
avus - grandfather
avi (pl.) - grandparents
avi relicta - grandfather's widow
banni - marriage banns
baptisma - baptism
baptisavit - he baptized
baptisatus/a - baptized
baptisatus/a est - he(or she) was baptized
caelebs - single, unmarried (man)
capellanus - chaplain
cognati - maternal relations
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
coniuges (pl.) - 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
coparcener - co-heir
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
decessit sine prole - died without issue, childless
decessit vitae patre (d.v.p.) - died in father's lifetime
decessus - death
defunctus/a/um - dead
denunciatio - publication of the marriage banns
factis tribus denunciationibus - after 3 publications of the banns, 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
feme covert - married woman
feme sole - unmarried woman
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 ex materno latere - half-brother common mother
frater ex paterno latere - half-brother common father
frater germanus - twin brother
frater naturalis - brother
fuit - he/she/it was
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
glos - husband's sister
gloris - brother's wife
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 (ibid.) - 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)
impedimentum consanguinitas - impediment 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
instant, inst. - of the current month
inuptus/a - unmarried
infra - below, later
infrascriptus - written below
intra - within
ipse/a/um - himself/herself/itself
ita - thus, so
item - also, likewise
iunior/junior - younger
iure/jure - legally
iurare/jurare - to swear, take an oath
ius/jus, iures/jures - law, laws
iuvenis/juvenis - young person
lavare - to wash, to baptize
lautus/a est - he/she was baptized
levantes - godparents
levir - husband's brother
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
locus sigilli - where a persons seal is placed (on a document)
majorennis - of legal age
majores - ancestors
mane - in the 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
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
nepos ex fil - grandson
nepos ex fratre - brother's son
nepos ex sorore - sister's son
neptis - granddaughter
nocte - at night
nomen - name
noverca - stepmother
nullus/a/um - no, none
nuptus/a - married
nunc tutus exitus computarus/a - safe exit
nurus/a - son's wife
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
patrui relicta - paternal uncle's widow
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
proneptus - grand niece
propinqui - relations, relatives
prosocrus - wife's grandmother
proximo, prox. - of the next month
pudicus/a - chaste
puella - girl
priores - ancestors
proavus/a - great grandfather/great grandmother
prorare vexilla - patriotic
provincia - province
proximus consanguineus - nearest relation
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 matris ecclesiae - according to the rite of the holy mother church
sacerdos - priest
sacer, sacra, sacrum - sacred
sacramentis totiis munitiis - fortified by all the last rites
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
socrus magna - maternal grandmother
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
ultimo, ult. - of the preceeding month
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
victricus - stepfather
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
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/a/um |
| 5 | quinque | quintus/a/um |
| 6 | sex | sextus/a/um |
| 7 | septem | septimus/a/um |
| 8 | octo | octavus/a/um |
| 9 | novem | nonus/a/um |
| 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 |
and:
The Bantam New College Latin & English Dictionary
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