Search Results for: blog genealogy glossary

Genealogy Vocabulary for the Census

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The release of the 1940 United States Census was a very big deal for genealogists. It was something that they had been looking forward to for a long, long, time. Those who are just getting started in genealogy might need some help understanding the important words and phrases that relate to the 1940 census. Here is a quick list to help out beginning genealogists. There are several different online resources that a beginning genealogist can use in order to learn about different terms that relate to genealogy. The following definitions came from the Genealogy Glossary at Family Tree Magazine. Census: … Continue reading →

Genetic Genealogy Terms

Genetic genealogy is a fascinating topic. It is very scientific in nature, though, so if you are new to learning about genetic genealogy you may want to learn about some commonly used genetic genealogy terms. By learning what some of the words mean before you begin reading a paper or book about genetic genealogy, you increase your chances of being able to understand the content of the book or paper. The International Society of Genetic Genealogists has some great resources for people just getting started on learning about the world of genetic genealogy. They have a question and answer section, … Continue reading →

A Few More Genealogy Words You Don’t Know

It can be interesting to find out the meanings of obscure, rarely used, genealogy terms, words, and phrases. If you are someone who likes to play with language, or who loves doing crossword puzzles, then you probably find it fun to learn new words. I thought that every genealogy dictionary would hold pretty much the same words. To my surprise, this assumption is not true at all! So far I have wandered through the Genealogy Glossary on the Family Tree Magazine website, the ROOTS Genealogical Dictionary, and the Glossary of Terminology at Genealogy Quest. This time, I decided to see … Continue reading →

Even More Genealogy Words You Don’t Know

Every once in a while, it can be fun to play around with words. One great thing about genealogy is that there seems to be a nearly endless supply of genealogy jargon, phrases, terminology, or words that you might have never seen before. Each genealogy dictionary is slightly different from the rest. There is a good chance that you will find at least a few words that are unfamiliar to you. Personally, I think it is fun to find out the meanings of these words and phrases now, when I don’t necessarily “need” them. I imagine it might be frustrating … Continue reading →

More Genealogy Words You Don’t Know

Genealogy is the study of family. It also involves learning how to research well. One of the more fun aspects of genealogy involves the discovery of the meanings of words, terms, and phrases that you did not know before you started doing your research. There is always something new to learn and discover! It is a good idea to have access to more than one genealogy dictionary. Not every mysterious word that you come across is going to be found in every dictionary. Some of these glossaries are quite small, and somewhat limited in their scope. In a previous blog, … Continue reading →

Genealogy Words You Don’t Know

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 … Continue reading →

Basic kinship terms for genealogy

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Figuring out just how each person in your family tree is related to you is one of the more confusing aspects of Genealogy. Often, family terminology is shortened, and mixed into a whole series of other abbreviations that have something to do with Genealogy. All of this can quickly resemble a bowl of alphabet soup, and provide you with a lot of frustration. One way to avoid much of the confusion about how you are related to other family members is to first learn more about what each of the different relationship terms means. To make things as clear as … Continue reading →

Glossary of Genealogy Abbreviations

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I sometimes look back at my previous posts for inspiration for new posts, or sometimes to see which topics may need a bit more elaboration. Today I want to create an extension from my genealogy glossary post from a few weeks ago. However, rather than providing you, my readers, with more genealogy terms, I want to help you understand the many genealogy abbreviations that are often used. General Genealogy Abbreviations abt. – about (sometimes also abbreviated as a. or ab.) ad. – adopted (sometimes adCL for adopted child, adD for adopted daughter, or adS for adopted son are also used) … Continue reading →

Genealogy Magazines

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There are a number of magazines that are dedicated to helping genealogists further their research. Some magazines are specialized, pertaining to genealogy for a particular location, ethnicity, time period, etc. Other magazines are more general, and can be useful to the majority of genealogists. Listed here are five of the most popular genealogy magazines. Prices listed here are effective as of May 27, 2010, and are subject to change. Family Tree Magazine According to their website, Family Tree Magazine is “American’s #1 family history magazine”. This magazine is perfect for beginning genealogists wanting to learn how to get started. Topics … Continue reading →

Genealogy Glossary

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There are many words and phrases used in genealogy that we sometimes do not see or use in every day life. To succeed in genealogy, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them. Listed here are just some of the many words and phrases you may come across during your genealogical research. There is also a list of sites that offer more comprehensive genealogy glossaries. Ahnentafal: A table of someone’s ancestors in which a numbering system is used. This word derives from the the German Ahnen meaning ancestor, and Tafel meaning table. Ancestor: Any person that someone is … Continue reading →