What does that word mean? This is a question that genealogists are bound to ask themselves from time to time. When this happens, it is time to consult a genealogy dictionary to learn the meaning of that archaic word that you have never seen before.
Genealogy research involves looking at old documents, and sorting through archives that hold collections of very old papers and vital records. Whenever you go digging through the past, there is the possibility that you will run across some words or phrases that you are unfamiliar with.
Terminology that was commonly understood ages ago could have completely fallen by the wayside in the time between now, and whenever a particular document was created. Medical terminology gets updated to more accurate, or more “politically correct” words and phrases as time goes on. Maybe your ancestor was employed in a profession that no longer exists today. These are just a few situations that can make a genealogist wonder what on earth a word means.
If you were the type of kid that enjoyed school assignments that involved looking up the definitions of unfamiliar or new words in a dictionary or glossary, then you probably will enjoy this particular aspect of genealogy. You get to explore language, and learn something about your ancestors, at the same time.
Family Tree Magazine has a section of their website called “Genealogy 101”. Today, as I am writing this blog, their word of the day is “vivandiere”. The definition of this word is: “A woman who followed a military regiment as a sutler or canteen keeper”.
A quick glance through the Family Tree Magazine Genealogy Glossary revealed some other interesting words that were new to me. I learned that a “credit patent” was “A document transferring land to be paid for in installments over a four-year period. A delinquent payment or nonpayment of the full balance resulted in forfeiture.” To me, this sounds a lot like what we would call a “mortgage” today.
The word “intestate” is a “Description of a person who died without leaving a will.” The word “kindred” means “Blood relatives”. This explains a lot about why so many fictional novels, role playing games, and movies refer to groups of vampires as “kindred”. That’s a rather clever play on words!
Have you ever heard of the phrase “mortality schedule”? No, it is not another word for the “death panels” that some people fear will be created as a result of health reform. It also isn’t a timetable that doctor’s and hospitals use to determine how long a patient with a certain disease can expect to live. “Mortality schedule” also doesn’t mean a calender that helps prison officials keep track of inmates who are on death row.
What does “mortality schedule” mean? It is “A section of the federal census listing information about persons who died during the census year”.
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