Translation Tips William F. Hoffman, 737 Hartfield Dr., North Aurora IL 60542-8917, E-mail: [email protected] [Notes to a talk given at the 2001 Fall Conference of the Polish Genealogical Society of America] GERMAN: A Little Practice with German Handwriting Print Script Samples In our alphabet Meaning A a A a Adalb„r“ Adalbert Adalbert [Wojciech] Ä ä Ä ä nämli{ nämlich namely, by name B b B b Bauer, b„erƒ‚gt Bauer, beerdigt farmer, buried C c C c Chir”r†, au{ Chirurg, auch surgeon, also D d D d Do`au, und Donau, und Danube, and E e E e Ehemann Ehemann husband F f F f Frˆed‘ˆ{, Taufe Friedrich, Taufe Frederick, baptism G g G g Geo‘†, geb. Georg, geb. George, née H h H h Hauptmann, Jahr Hauptmann, Jahr captain, year I i I i Innung, im Innung, im guild, in the J j J j Jahr, jung Jahr, jung year, young K k K k Käthner, katho‹i| Käthner, katholisch cottager, Catholic L l L l Lehr‹ing, leb„ndˆg Lehrling, lebendig apprentice, alive M m M m Mäd›en, Summer Mädchen, Summer girl, summer N n N n Na{t, Juni Nacht, Juni night, June O o O o Or“^lexiko`, o… t Ortslexikon, oft gazetteer, often Ö ö Ö ö Öster‘„i{, |ö` Österreich, schön Austria, beautiful P p P p Pfar‘„r, pr„ußi| Pfarrer, preussich minister, Prussian Q q Q q Quelle, quittier„n Quelle, quittieren source, give a receipt R r R r Regier”ng^bezirŠ Regierungsbezirk administrative area S s ^ S s ^ S{ein, ist, na{t^ Schein, ist, nachts certificate, is, at night T t T t Tagelö‡ner, Vater Tagelöhner, Vater day-laborer, father U u U u Uhr, unb„kannt Uhr, unbekannt hour, unknown Ü ü Ü ü über’„~en übersetzen to translate V v V v Vater, evangeli| Vater, evangelisch father, Evangelical W w W w Witwe, Witwer Witwe, Witwer widow, widower X x X x Xbrˆ^ or Xbris Xbris abbr. for December Y y Y y Bayer` Bayern Bavaria Z z Z z Zeuge, zwö‹f Zeuge, zwölf witness, twelve Hoffman: Translation Tips – 1 General German Vocabulary & Abbreviations a. D. = außer Dienst, retired; also can be Anno fallende Krankeit, Fallsucht: epilepsy Domini, in the year of our Lord Fäule: cancer, abcess, sepsis a. d. h. = aus dem Hause, “from the house” Fehlgeburt: miscarriage Alter: age; Altersschwäche: senility Feldwebel: non-commissioned officer *ausgewandert: emigrated *Gärtner: gardener, farmer with a bit of land Auszehrung: tuberculosis Gatte: husband; Gattin: wife b. v. = beide von, “both from” *geb. = geboren, “born, née” Bäcker, Becker: baker Gefreiter: lance corporal Bauer: farmer; Bauernknecht: farmhand Gehirnschlag: stroke Beerdigung: burial *Gemeinde: community, parish begr. = begraben, “buried” Gerber: tanner Bergmann: miner *Geschwister: brother or sister, sibling Bettler: beggar Geschwulst: dropsy, swelling Beulenpest: bubonic plague Geselle: journeyman Bezirk: district gest. = gestorben, “died” Binder: cooper get. = getauft, “baptized” Blattern: smallpox getr. = getraut, “married” Bleichsucht: anemia Gevatter: godparent Blinddarmentzündung: appendicitis Gicht: gout Blut: blood; Blutfluß: hemmorhage; Blut- Gift: poison vergiftung: blood poisoning *Gm. = Gemeinde, “parish” *Borussia: Prussia Gutsbesitzer: estate owner Bräune: dyphtheria, angina Halsentzündung: throat infection Brustkrankheit: pneumonia, tuberculosis Händler: merchant, trader Bürger: burgher, townsman Handwerker: craftsman *bzw.: beziehungsweise, “respectively, or” *Häusler: cottager (& day-laborer) Charge: military rank Hausvater: “father of the house” Chirurg: surgeon *Hebamme: midwife *d. h. = das heißt, “that is, i. e.” *Heimatortskartei: homeland card-file (per dergl., desgl. = dergleichen, desgleichen: “the Thode a register of addresses of over 18 same” million people from Poland, Soviet Uni- Diener: servant on, and other German-speaking terri- Drost: bailiff tories living there in 1939; address: ehel. = ehelich, “legitimate” Heimatortskarteien, Lessingstraße 1, W- ehelich: legitimate 8000 München, Germany) ehemalig: former; ehemals: formerly Heirathserlaubnis: marriage permit Ehemann: husband; Ehefrau: wife Herdstättensteur: hearth-tax Eigenmann: serf, vassal Herzanfall, Herzschlag: heart attack eigenhändig: in one’s own hand Hirt: herdsman Einlieger: free agricultural laborer Hitzschlag: heat stroke Entbindung: delivery (of a child) Hofbesitzer: farm owner entjungfert: deflowered Hofmann: manorial estate administrator, Entkräftung: weakening, debilitation farmer Ergänzungsbezirk: supplemental district Holzhauer, Holzknecht: woodcutter erstgeboren: firstborn *Huber: farmer of a half-sized farm; Hübner, evang. = evangelisch, “Protestant” Hüfner: owner of a full-sized farm Hoffman: Translation Tips – 2 *i. V. = in Vertretung, “on behalf of,” or in Mägd. = “servant girl, maid” Vollmacht, “as proxy” Mälzer: maltster, brewer Imker: beekeeper männl. = männlich, “masculine” Impfung: vaccination *Marasmus: decrepitude, weakness Jgfr. = Jungrau, “maiden, virgin” Maurer: bricklayer, stonemason Jäger: hunter Meier: farmer, estate overseer Jammer: epilepsy Meldeamt: registration office Jngfr. = Jungfrau, “maiden, miss” Metzger: butcher Junggeselle: apprentice minderjährig: minor, not of legal age *K. u. k. = Kaiserlich und Königlich: Royal *Morgen: unit of land measure (the amount and Imperial (Austrian Empire) an ox can plow in one morning) Kähler: coal merchant Müller, Mueller: miller Kärrner: freight handler, carter nämlich: namely, to wit Kästner: steward, treasurer, carpenter Ober-: upper, over, superior Katasterbuch: book of deeds Ohnmacht: unconsciousness, fainting *Kätner: cottager (with a small house and a Ortsansäßiger: resident of the place, local little land, maybe a few cows) Pächter: renter, tenant (Pacht: lease) Kaufmann: merchant Pate: godfather; Patin: godmother Keßler: kettle-maker, coppersmith *Personalausweis: identity card Kgf. = Kriegsgefangener: “prisoner of war” Pest: plague Kindbettfieber: puerpural fever Pf. = Pfenning, “penny” Kinderlahmung: infantile paralysis Pfarramt: parish office Kirchenbücher: church registers Pfr. = Pfarrer, “minister” Kleinhändler: retail merchant Richter: judge Knecht: farmhand Rose: erysipelas Koch: cook Rößler: horseman; tanner Köhler: charcoal burner Röteln: German measles, rubella Koter: cottager (owned a little land) *Rückwanderer: returning emigrant *Kr. = Kreis, “county” (= Polish powiat) Ruhestand: retirement Kramer, Krämer: one who has a small stall or S. d. = Sohn des, “son of” shop for selling inexpensive goods S. v. = Sohn von, “son of” Kränke: epilepsy Säger: sawyer Krebs: cancer samt. = “together with” Kretschmer: innkeeper Säugling: infant Krüger, Krueger: innkeeper Schäfer, Schaefer: shepherd *Kurland: Courland (now in Latvia) Scharlachfieber: scarlet fever Kürschner: furrier Scharwerker: day-laborer (on a farm) Lähmung: paralysis Schlächter: butcher Landesbezirk: administrative district Schlag, Schlaganfall: stroke *Landsturm: military home guard (for those Schleimfieber: typhus age 43-50) Schmidt: smith *Landwehr: local militia (for those 35-42) Schneider: tailor Landwirt: farmer Schnitzer: woodcarver laut: according to schriftlich: in writing Lazarett: field hospital Schröder, Schroeder: tailor led. = ledig, “single” *Schulz: village magistrate, mayor (= Polish Lehrling, Lehrjunge: apprentice soðtys) Lungenentzündung: pneumonia Schumann, Schuster: shoemaker Hoffman: Translation Tips – 3 Schütze: hunter, military rifleman Vormund: guardian Schwinde: consumption, tuberculosis Wächter: watchman, guard Skorbut: scurvy Wagner: carter *Standesamt: civil registration office Waise: orphan Stellmacher: wheelwright Wärter: caretaker T. d. = Tochter des, “daughter of” Wassersucht: dropsy, edema *Tagelöhner: day-laborer Weber: weaver Täufling: one being baptized weibl = weiblich, “feminine” to[d]tgeboren: stillborn *weil. = weiland, “late, deceased” Trabant: foot soldier Wirt: innkeeper, landlord u. = und, “and” Wochenfieber: puerpural fever u. d. = und des, und der, “and of” Wohnstätte: place of residence unehelich: illegitimate Wwe. = Witwe, “widow” *Untauglichkeitsschein: certificate of unsuita- Wwer. = Witwer, “widower” bility for military service X: Christ; ten; or short for Ksiãdz (Rev.) v. = von, “from” Zeuge: witness Vergiftung: poisoning Ziegler: brickmaker verh. = verheiratet, “married” Zigeuner: Gypsy verl. = verlobt, “engaged” Zimmermann: carpenter Verschollener: one missing, declared dead Zunftmeister: guild master *Vogt, Voigt: bailiff, sheriff (= Polish wójt) Zwang: diarrhea volljährig: of age, no longer a minor Zwilling: twin LATIN: TITLES INDICATIVE OF SOCIAL STATUS Polish vital records often contained titles or terms that indicate the social status or rank of the individuals mentioned in them. In many cases, the status described has no real equivalent in English, as the concepts described are foreign to American contemporary culture. In such cases the literal English meaning, or the closest rough equivalent, of the title is provided, even though the full “flavor” of the expression is somewhat diluted. Terms for Nobles and the Clergy The following are all adjectives, declined either like magnus (those ending in -us) or like fortis (those ending in -is). Latin Polish English Used to address: illustrissimus ac jaõnie wielmoþny The Honorable magnate, senator magnificus magnificus wielmoþny Esq., Your an official of the court Honor generosus urodzony “well born” owner of at least one village nobilis szlachetny noble owner of a parcel, or leaseholder spectabilis godny worthy wealthy patrician from a large city honoratus zacny honorable patrician famosus/famatus sðawetny renowned middle class craftsman Hoffman: Translation Tips – 4 providus/circum- opatrzny provident a poor