0004373 PARISH REGISTER LATIN: AN INTRODUCTION C. Russell Jensen, Ph.D. 'T -J ^'' Donated to the Family History Library by ^ h: u: i9 '^ VITA NOVA BOOKS P.O. Box 520546 Salt Lake City, Utah 84152 WARNING - DISCLAIMER The purpose of this book is to inform and educate. Although the book has been researched and written as painstakingly as possible, there may be inadvertent typographic or content errors. This book should, therefore, be regarded as a general introduction to the subject and not as an ultimate authority. Neither Vita Nova Books nor the author guarantees that everyone using this book will be able to read Latin parish register entries, although a careful study of the material therein may be of help in learning to do so. Consequently, neither Vita Nova Books nor the author shall be held liable or responsible in any way whatsoever for the failure of anyone using this book to read Latin parish register entries; nor shall Vita Nova Books or the author be held liable or responsible in any way whatsoever for any loss or damage said to arise directly or indirectly from any information, or lack of information, in this book. Copyright (c) 1989 by Vita Nova Books All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, including photocopying or recording, or by any computer storage and retrieval system, or other storage storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. PREFACE The Latin of European parish registers, particularly but not exclusively those from Roman Catholic parishes, was, in many respects, a unique blend of classical Roman literary Latin, ecclesiastical Latin, and medieval Latin. Priests and other ecclesiastical officials who were well-schooled in classical Roman Latin might utilize a classical grammar and syntax in recording events in their parishes. Others might rely more heavily upon ecclesiastical usages. Spelling, vocabulary, certain aspects of grammar, and even abbreviations, when used, were frequently derived from medieval Latin. Those who work with Latin parish registers, e.g., family and local historians, demographers, social historians, and others, require, therefore, a text which will introduce them to the lineaments of classical Roman Latin grammar and syntax, but will also provide sufficient background in ecclesiastical and medieval Latin to help in reading register entries. This is especially true for those without previous preparation in Latin, who may be unable to devote several years to the study of classical Latin at a college or university before proceeding to a perusal of parish registers. To aid in this endeavor, the following book was written. It combines the study of Latin grammar, classical and, to some extent, medieval, with practical training in the translation of parish register entries, both printed and handwritten. This book, the product of years of teaching and research, is designed for use in the classroom where instructor supervision and aid are readily available. It can be completed either in one or two semesters, depending upon the preparation of those involved. While there is, of course, no substitute for learning in the classroom, this book is structured in such a way that motivated individuals can, on their own, work through each of the assign- ments and verify their results by comparing them with the grammar and translation key at the end. It should be noted, however, that the systematic study of this book will not necessarily guarantee the development of a facility in reading parish register entries, nor can it replace the years of study required to become proficient in classical languages. This text is an introduction to the subject of parish register Latin, and may, it is hoped, be of value to those interested in perusing register entries. The corpus of this volume consists of 14 chapters on grammar and vocabulary, with illustrative selections taken from parish registers. There are four appendices which contain the following information: a brief introduction to paleography and abbrevia- tions, a summary of fixed and moveable feast days, a list of Latinized first or given names, and several practice documents which can be reviewed as an aid in improving translation skills. There is also a key to the grammar and translation, a synopsis of declension and conjugation, a Latin-English word list, and a selected bibliography- It is hoped that the inclu- sion of additional material in the appendices and bibliography might help to make this book a useful reference tool, as well as an introduction to Latin grammar. While the practice of keeping rudimentary lists of new converts, births, deaths, or marriages, within a geographic or ecclesiastical jurisdiction such as a parish, began very early in Christian history, the major impetus toward the systematic recording of baptisms or christenings, marriages, deaths and burials in a particular area was primarily a result of the Prot- estant Reformation and the Council of Trent. In many parts of Europe such information was not transcribed consistently until at least the late sixteenth or early seven- teenth century. However, as a result of the deliberations of the Council of Trent, which met with interruptions between 1545-1563, Roman Catholic priests throughout Europe began to record all baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials, as well as confirma- tions, and other events in their parishes. This means that the student of parish registers is likely to encounter Latin entries in many areas of Europe in which there were Roman Catholic parishes. This is particularly true of central and eastern Europe, Italy, Belgium, and the Catholic portions of the Netherlands. Parishes in France and Spain often used the vernacular French or Spanish rather than Latin in recording entries. Lutheran parishes in certain parts of central Europe also used at least some Latin in their register entries, while Scandinavian parishes retained the feast and saints' day calendar, in some cases well into the nineteenth century. The examples selected for this text are, for the most part, derived from the registers of Roman Catholic parishes of central Europe (e.g., Germany, parts of Switerland, the former provinces of Alsace-Lorraine, and Austria) with which I am most familiar. With few exceptions, all translations in this book are my own, even those taken from such well-known works as the Vulgate. They are rather literal to facilitate translation by those who work through the exercises. Since this book deals primarily with the Latin of parish registers, it does not, and indeed cannot, cover all aspects of Latin grammar. Those wishing additional information on the subject should consult some of the reference works listed in the selected bibliography. The same is true of Latin paleography. This text should be regarded principally as an introduction and a point of departure for future study. : CONTENTS ALPHABET AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE vii EXPLANATION OF LATIN LANGUAGE TERMS xii GLOSSARY OF GRAMMATICAL TERMS xiv CHAPTERS I. Nouns: The First Declension Nouns: The Second Declension Masculine Nouns Ending in -us or -er Neuter Nouns Ending in -um Latinized First Names: First and Second Declension 1 II. Adjectives of the First and Second Declension First and Second Declension Adjectives Ending in -er, -era, -erum Irregular First and Second Declension Adjectives 15 III. Verbs I: First and Second Conjugation Present, Future, and Imperfect Indicative Active Present, Future, and Imperfect Indicative Active of esse and posse Latin Syntax: An Introduction 22 IV. Nouns: The Third Declension I-Stem Nouns of the Third Declension Latinized First Names: Third Declension Third Declension Adjectives 39 V. Verbs II: Third and Fourth Conjugation Present, Future, and Imperfect Indicative Active lO-Verbs of the Third Conjugation Prepositions 52 VI. Verbs III: The Perfect Active System: Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect Indicative Active of all Four Conjugations Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect of esse and posse 69 VII. Numbers Ablative and Accusative of Time Dates in Latin Documents Julian and Gregorian Calendars 89 VIII. Verbs IV: The Passive Voice Present, Future, and Imperfect Indicative of all Four Conjugations 107 IX. Verbs V: The Passive Voice Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect Indicative of all Four Conjugations Deponent and Semi-Deponent Verbs The Four Principal Parts of Latin Verbs . 116 X. Nouns: The Fourth and Fifth Declension Some Uses of the Ablative Determining Place in Latin Latinized Place Names 136 XI. Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives Formation of Adverbs Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs 148 XII. The Subjunctive Mood 166 XIII. Participles; The Periphrastic Active and Passive; The Ablative Absolute; Infinitives; Indirect Statement 181 XIV. The Gerund Irregular Verbs: fio, vole, fero, eo Dative with Certain Verbs; Impersonal Verbs Some Uses of the Genitive, Dative, and Accusative 200 Appendix A Handwriting and Abbreviations Classical and Medieval Latin 226 Appendix B Some Latinized Given Names: Male and Female . 237 Appendix C Common Fixed and Moveable Feast Days 259 Appendix D Sample Parish Register Entries 267 Key to the Grammar and Translation Exercises 278 Synopsis of Declension and Conjugation 3 29 Latin-English Word List 362 Selected Bibliography 415 Index 423 VI . ) : . : ALPHABET AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE N.B. Although this book emphasizes reading Latin, this section on pronunciation is included for reference. It is also helpful, on occasion, when confronted with an unfamiliar