Difference between revisions of "Genealogy Glossary"

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'''Anglicisation'''
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{{languages|Genealogy Glossary}}
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__NOTOC__
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This glossary of genealogical terms details the most common terms you are likely to come across during your family search.
  
# process of making something English
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For terms appearing in Gramps see [[Gramps Glossary]].
  
'''DNA'''
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  [[#A|A]]  [[#B|B]]  [[#C|C]]  [[#D|D]]  [[#E|E]]  [[#F|F]]  [[#G|G]]  [[#H|H]]  [[#I|I]]  [[#J|J]]  [[#K|K]]  [[#L|L]]  [[#M|M]]  [[#N|N]]  [[#O|O]]  [[#P|P]]  [[#Q|Q]]  [[#R|R]]  [[#S|S]]  [[#T|T]]  [[#U|U]]  [[#V|V]]  [[#W|W]]  [[#X|X]]  [[#Y|Y]]  [[#Z|Z]]
  
# acronum: '''d'''eoxyribo'''n'''ucleic '''a'''cid
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==A==
# a nucleic acid that carries genetic information
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;<span id="affinity">Affinity</span>:
 +
: close relationship or connection. In secular law, cultural anthropology, or religious canon; it refers to a kinship relationship created (or that exists) between two persons as a result of marriage. May also include kinship by sexual congress, adoption or indirectly via a [https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepfamily step relationship]. <br />(Note that Catholic canon states 'affinity does not beget affinity'... that is, a spouse's siblings have no relationship by marriage to the other spouse's siblings. Thus multiple siblings of one family marrying siblings of another family would have no incestuous implications due to affinity.)
  
'''DTD'''
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;Anglicisation:
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: process of making something (such as a surname) into an English variant
  
# acronym: '''D'''ocument '''T'''ype '''D'''efinition
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==C==
 +
;<span id="centimorgan">Centimorgan</span>:
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:In [[#DNA|DNA]] analysis, a [https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Centimorgan centimorgan] (abbreviated cM, or cMs plural) is a unit for measuring genetic commonality. It describes a distance between loci (also termed chromosome positions or markers) where blocks of the chromosome tend not to break apart for recombination. In that block, the predicted frequency of intervening chromosomal crossovers is 0.01 over a single generation. While it is often used to infer distance along a chromosome, it is not a true physical distance. An alternative term is map unit (abbreviated m.u.) but this alternative form is less frequently seen in genealogy forums.
  
'''GEDCOM'''
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;<span id="consanguinity">Consanguinity</span>:
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:From the Latin term "consanguinitās"; ''meaning &lsquo;a quality of the same blood&rsquo;'' (deconstructed:  CON- ''meaning &lsquo;with&rsquo; or &lsquo;together&rsquo;'' + SANGUIS/SANGUIN ''meaning &lsquo;blood&rsquo;'' + -ITAS ''a suffix meaning &lsquo;having a distinctive attribute/quality of&rsquo;; an affix turning a noun into the adjective form'' ) <br />relationship by descent from a common ancestor; kinship
 +
:<small>Words Related To Consanguinity:</small><br />lineage, [https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/agnate agnate], [https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/cognate cognate], affiliation, kindred, strain, connection, race, [[#affinity|affinity]], kin, brotherhood, sisterhood, kinship, [https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/filiation filiation], kindredship
  
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==D==
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;<span id="dna">DNA</span>:
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# acronym: '''d'''eoxyribo'''n'''ucleic '''a'''cid
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# a [https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleic_acid nucleic acid] that carries genetic information.
 +
 +
==F==
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;<span id="family">[[family]]</span>:
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# Group of related people.
 +
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;<span id="family_tree">Family Tree</span>:
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# generic: a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree representation] of Genealogical data
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# in Gramps: a set of Genealogical data collected into a database file
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==G==
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;GEDCOM:
 
# acronym: '''Ge'''nealogy '''D'''ata '''Com'''munication
 
# acronym: '''Ge'''nealogy '''D'''ata '''Com'''munication
# a format for exchanging genealogy data
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# a [[GEDCOM|format]] for exchanging genealogy data
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 +
;genealogy:
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# the organized historical accounting of the descent of something that can be traced from an progenitor
 +
# the study of ancestral and descendant lines
 +
 
 +
;[[Genealogical_Numbering_Systems|genealogical numbering system]]:
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:A standardized method of abstractly indexing familial relationship by number or identifier. Most systems are biased towards identifying Ancestors (ascending) or Descendants (descending) and may have idiosyncractic methods for labeling collateral lines, spouses or indirect connections.
 +
 
 +
==I==
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;<span id="inst">instante (inst./in&#383;t.)</span>:
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: From the Latin term "instante mense" meaning "this month". (Sometimes it would be written as "instant" or typeset using the 'long s' as "in&#383;tant".) An [https://blog.genealogybank.com/understanding-terms-found-in-historical-newspapers.html/amp anachronistic newspaper term] sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd inst." included in a 26 Dec 1766 obituary means 3 December 1766. See also [[#prox|prox.]] and [[#ult|ult.]]
 +
 
 +
==L==
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;LDS IGI:
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: The [https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] (sometimes abbreviated as LDS) [https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/International_Genealogical_Index International Genealogical Index] (IGI) reference identification system. The Ancestral File, Pedigree Resource File, and International Genealogical Index are [https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/LDS_Church_Records_Class_Handout records systems] in the LDS system.
 +
 
 +
==M==
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;matronym:
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: personal name based on the name of one's mother
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==N==
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;<span id="nee">n&eacute;, n&eacute;e</span>:
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: meaning 'had been born', in masculine and feminine variants. Signifies the following surname was used prior to a name change. The change is not merely due to marriage, it can be for any reason including stage &amp; pen names. Often omits the accent and gender distinction when used as the 'nee' [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loanword loanword] from the past participle of the French base term: naître (to be born). Commonly assumed to mean 'formerly' in American documents... which exceeds the original intent of specifically indicating a birthname. See [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names Maiden and married names] on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_and_married_names Wikipedia]
 +
 
 +
;nickname:
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: A diminutive (familiar, pet) pseudonym.<br />''A linguistic stretch has been posited with the theory that the word is based on "an eke name" (an additional name) which became "an ekename" then by misdivision became "a nekename" to finally "a nickname."  This is based on 'eke' from Old English 'eaca,' meaning "an increase" ''
  
'''matronym'''
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;Numbering system:
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: Several [[Genealogical_Numbering_Systems|Genealogical Numbering Systems]] have been adopted by genealogists for indexing family trees and pedigree charts in text format. Each system provides a consistent methodology to determine the appropriate & predictable identifier for persons in a Family Tree. Most systems assign identifiers relative to a focal person and are oriented towards Ancestors (an ascending system) or Descendants (a descending system). Common numbering systems represented by features in Gramps include: [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#ahnentafel|Ahnentafel]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#d'aboville|d'Aboville]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#de villiers|de Villiers]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#henry|Henry]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#meurgey de tupigny|Meurgey de Tupigny]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#register|Register]], [[Genealogical Numbering Systems#Sosa-stradonitz|Sosa-Stradonitz]].
  
# personal name based on the name of one's mother
+
==P==
 +
;patronym:
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: personal name based on the name of one's father (The adjective ''patronymic'' means derived from one's father while ''avonymic'' is derived from one's grandfather. When used as a noun, it refers to a name of that derivation.)
  
'''patronym'''
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;<span id="prox">proximo (prox.)</span>:
 +
: From the Latin term "proximo mense" meaning "next month". An [https://blog.genealogybank.com/understanding-terms-found-in-historical-newspapers.html/amp anachronistic newspaper term] sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd ult." included in a 26 Dec 1766 obituary means not just the following month but also the following calendar year and would refer to 3 January 1767. See also [[#inst|inst.]] and [[#ult|ult.]]
  
# personal name based on the name of one's father
+
==R==
 +
;recte:
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: From the Latin term "recte" meaning "rightly, correctly". Used parenthetically in a verbatim quotation clarify an ambiguous error in the original. (In contrast, the Latin term "sic" notes an unambiguous error without correcting it.) See also [https://wiktionary.org/wiki/recte recte definition]
  
'''Romanization'''
+
;Romanization:
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: linguistic representation of a word in the Roman (Latin) alphabet
  
# linguistic representation of a word in Roman (Latin) alphabet
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==S==
 +
;sic:
 +
: From the Latin term "sic" meaning "thus, so". Used parenthetically in a verbatim quotation to denote "it was as thus" -- that an obvious error is maintained as in the original. (In contrast, the Latin term "recte" notes an ambiguous error with correction.) See also  [https://wiktionary.org/wiki/sic sic definition]
  
'''XML'''
+
==U==
 +
;<span id="ult">ultimo (ult.)</span>:
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: From the Latin term "ultimo mense" meaning "last month". An [https://blog.genealogybank.com/understanding-terms-found-in-historical-newspapers.html/amp anachronistic newspaper term] sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd ult." included in a 26 January 1767 obituary means not just the previous month but also the previous calendar year and would refer to 3 Dec 1766. See also [[#inst|inst.]] and [[#prox|prox.]]
  
# acronym: E'''x'''tensible '''M'''arkup '''L'''anguage
+
=External References=
 +
*  [https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Glossary-of-genealogical-terms Glossary of Genealogical Terms] on Ancestry.com
 +
* [https://www.familytreemagazine.com/premium/glossary/ Comprehensive Genealogy Glossary] by Family Tree (magazine) Editors
 +
[[Category:Genealogy]]
 +
*[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Genealogical_Terms Genealogical Terms] by FamilySearch
 +
* [https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Acronyms_and_Abbreviations Acronyms and Abbreviations] by FamilySearch
 +
* [https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~randyj2222/genealogy/gendict.html Dictionary of Genealogy and Archaic Terms] by Randy Jones
 +
* [https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/genealogy-glossary/ Genealogy - Glossary] by History Detectives (program produced for Oregon Public Broadcasting and Lion Television)
 +
* [https://www.google.com/amp/s/blog.genealogybank.com/a-genealogists-guide-to-old-latin-terms-abbreviations.html/amp A Genealogist’s Guide to Old Latin Terms & Abbreviations] by Mary Harrell-Sesniak
 +
*[https://blog.genealogybank.com/old-diseases-early-medical-terms-in-historical-newspapers.html Old Diseases & Early Medical Terms in Historical Newspapers] by Mary Harrell-Sesniak
 +
*[https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/glossary.html Genealogy Glossary] by Genealogy.com
 +
*  [https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/fr_words.html French]/[https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/ger_words.html German]/[https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/ital_words.html Italian]/[https://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/sp_words.html Spanish] terms and relationships by Genealogy.com
 +
* [https://raogk.org/encyclopedia/terms/ Genealogical Terms Commonly Used in Genealogical Research] by Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
 +
* [https://familyhistorydaily.com/family-history/genealogy-glossary-confusing-research-terms-meanings/ Genealogy Glossary: Confusing Research Terms and Their Meanings] by Family History Daily
 +
* [http://genealogy-quest.com/glossary-terms/ Glossary of Terms] by Genealogy Quest
 +
* [https://www.cyndislist.com/dictionaries/genealogy/ Genealogy Dictionaries & Glossaries] on Cyndi's List

Revision as of 20:25, 21 November 2020

This glossary of genealogical terms details the most common terms you are likely to come across during your family search.

For terms appearing in Gramps see Gramps Glossary.

 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A

Affinity
close relationship or connection. In secular law, cultural anthropology, or religious canon; it refers to a kinship relationship created (or that exists) between two persons as a result of marriage. May also include kinship by sexual congress, adoption or indirectly via a step relationship.
(Note that Catholic canon states 'affinity does not beget affinity'... that is, a spouse's siblings have no relationship by marriage to the other spouse's siblings. Thus multiple siblings of one family marrying siblings of another family would have no incestuous implications due to affinity.)
Anglicisation
process of making something (such as a surname) into an English variant

C

Centimorgan
In DNA analysis, a centimorgan (abbreviated cM, or cMs plural) is a unit for measuring genetic commonality. It describes a distance between loci (also termed chromosome positions or markers) where blocks of the chromosome tend not to break apart for recombination. In that block, the predicted frequency of intervening chromosomal crossovers is 0.01 over a single generation. While it is often used to infer distance along a chromosome, it is not a true physical distance. An alternative term is map unit (abbreviated m.u.) but this alternative form is less frequently seen in genealogy forums.
Consanguinity
From the Latin term "consanguinitās"; meaning ‘a quality of the same blood’ (deconstructed: CON- meaning ‘with’ or ‘together’ + SANGUIS/SANGUIN meaning ‘blood’ + -ITAS a suffix meaning ‘having a distinctive attribute/quality of’; an affix turning a noun into the adjective form )
relationship by descent from a common ancestor; kinship
Words Related To Consanguinity:
lineage, agnate, cognate, affiliation, kindred, strain, connection, race, affinity, kin, brotherhood, sisterhood, kinship, filiation, kindredship

D

DNA
  1. acronym: deoxyribonucleic acid
  2. a nucleic acid that carries genetic information.

F

family
  1. Group of related people.
Family Tree
  1. generic: a representation of Genealogical data
  2. in Gramps: a set of Genealogical data collected into a database file

G

GEDCOM
  1. acronym: Genealogy Data Communication
  2. a format for exchanging genealogy data
genealogy
  1. the organized historical accounting of the descent of something that can be traced from an progenitor
  2. the study of ancestral and descendant lines
genealogical numbering system
A standardized method of abstractly indexing familial relationship by number or identifier. Most systems are biased towards identifying Ancestors (ascending) or Descendants (descending) and may have idiosyncractic methods for labeling collateral lines, spouses or indirect connections.

I

instante (inst./inſt.)
From the Latin term "instante mense" meaning "this month". (Sometimes it would be written as "instant" or typeset using the 'long s' as "inſtant".) An anachronistic newspaper term sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd inst." included in a 26 Dec 1766 obituary means 3 December 1766. See also prox. and ult.

L

LDS IGI
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes abbreviated as LDS) International Genealogical Index (IGI) reference identification system. The Ancestral File, Pedigree Resource File, and International Genealogical Index are records systems in the LDS system.

M

matronym
personal name based on the name of one's mother

N

né, née
meaning 'had been born', in masculine and feminine variants. Signifies the following surname was used prior to a name change. The change is not merely due to marriage, it can be for any reason including stage & pen names. Often omits the accent and gender distinction when used as the 'nee' loanword from the past participle of the French base term: naître (to be born). Commonly assumed to mean 'formerly' in American documents... which exceeds the original intent of specifically indicating a birthname. See Maiden and married names on Wikipedia
nickname
A diminutive (familiar, pet) pseudonym.
A linguistic stretch has been posited with the theory that the word is based on "an eke name" (an additional name) which became "an ekename" then by misdivision became "a nekename" to finally "a nickname." This is based on 'eke' from Old English 'eaca,' meaning "an increase"
Numbering system
Several Genealogical Numbering Systems have been adopted by genealogists for indexing family trees and pedigree charts in text format. Each system provides a consistent methodology to determine the appropriate & predictable identifier for persons in a Family Tree. Most systems assign identifiers relative to a focal person and are oriented towards Ancestors (an ascending system) or Descendants (a descending system). Common numbering systems represented by features in Gramps include: Ahnentafel, d'Aboville, de Villiers, Henry, Meurgey de Tupigny, Register, Sosa-Stradonitz.

P

patronym
personal name based on the name of one's father (The adjective patronymic means derived from one's father while avonymic is derived from one's grandfather. When used as a noun, it refers to a name of that derivation.)
proximo (prox.)
From the Latin term "proximo mense" meaning "next month". An anachronistic newspaper term sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd ult." included in a 26 Dec 1766 obituary means not just the following month but also the following calendar year and would refer to 3 January 1767. See also inst. and ult.

R

recte
From the Latin term "recte" meaning "rightly, correctly". Used parenthetically in a verbatim quotation clarify an ambiguous error in the original. (In contrast, the Latin term "sic" notes an unambiguous error without correcting it.) See also recte definition
Romanization
linguistic representation of a word in the Roman (Latin) alphabet

S

sic
From the Latin term "sic" meaning "thus, so". Used parenthetically in a verbatim quotation to denote "it was as thus" -- that an obvious error is maintained as in the original. (In contrast, the Latin term "recte" notes an ambiguous error with correction.) See also sic definition

U

ultimo (ult.)
From the Latin term "ultimo mense" meaning "last month". An anachronistic newspaper term sometimes used in obituaries. So, the phrase "3rd ult." included in a 26 January 1767 obituary means not just the previous month but also the previous calendar year and would refer to 3 Dec 1766. See also inst. and prox.

External References