Common Genealogical Terms

Common Norwegian terms you are likely to find in biographical data, parish records, and other genealogical sources

Aar	year
adresse	address
ægte	legitimate
ægteskab	marriage
ældste	oldest
ætatis	age
af	of or from
ældre	elder
ældst	oldest
ære	honor
ærlig	honest
æt	family, ancestors
ætled	generation

bann	formal announcement of intent to marry
bapt	baptized
bedsteforældre	grandparents
begges	both
begravet	buried
beliggende	located
bestefader	grandfather
bestemoder	grandmother
bevidner	certificates
bo	reside
Bo	estate
bogholder	bookkeeper
bonde	owner
boende	living
bopæl	residing
borgerlige stilling	civil status
bosteder	residences
børn	child
børnets fulle navn	child's full name
børnløs	childless
braederi	distillery
broder	brother
brodersdatter	brother's daughter/niece
brodersøn	brother's son/nephew
brudefolk	bride and groom
brudgommens og brudens full navn	bridegroom & bride's full names
bruk	subdivision of a larger farm
bryllup	wedding
by	town or village
bygdelag	community organization

cautionister	baptismal sponsors
Christendoms kundskab	Christian knowedge
confirmeret	confirmed
constabel	sheriff
copuleret /copulerede	married

Daab	baptism
daapsdag	date of baptism
dagicier	laborer
dampskib	steamboat
dannemand	farmer
daterad	dated
datter	daughter
dåp	baptism
degn	parish clerk
dennes kone	his wife
den Norske Matrikkel	1890 farm register
derboende	living
deres	their
ditto	the same
død	death
dødsdatum	date of death
døpt	baptized
døv	deaf
dreng	boy

efter	after
efterladt	survived by
egen/eie	possession. Someone renting part of a farm would use 'eie' as a suffix to the farm name
Egteskab	marriage
eiendom	property
ekte	legitimate
ektemann	husband
ekteskapsbevis	marriage license
ekteskapsdato	date of marriage
eldeste	oldest
elv	river
embede	office (usually elected)
ene	only
enhver	every
enke	widow
enkemann	widower
Er dødsfallet anmeldt til skifteretten eller lensmann	Was the death reported to the probate court or sheriff

faddere	baptismal sponsors
faddernes navn	godparents' names
fader	father
fædrenes og sønnernes navne	fathers' and sons' names
fæster	leaseholder
farbroder	father's brother/uncle
farfader	father's father/paternal grandfather
farmoder	father's mother/paternal grandmother
faster	father's sister/aunt
fattig	almsbox
fattigdom	poverty
ferie	holiday
fetter	male cousin
firemenning	third cousin
fogderi	district
folkekirken	state church
folketellinger	census
forældre	parents
forældrennes fulde navn og borgerlige stilling	parents full name and occupation
forældrenes bopel	parents residence
forgagter	renter
forlovernes navn og bopel	sponsors and residence
formand	Foreman (depending on context, also chairman or president)
forretningsmand	lumberman
fosterbarn	foster child
føderaad	pension to owner after acquisition by heirs
fødested	birthplace
fødselsaar of -sted for brudeparet	birthyear & place for bride and groom
født	born
født i ekteskap	born in wedlock
født utenfor ekteskap	born out of wedlock
føgende	following
første	first
fra	from/of
fraskilt	divorced
fredag	Friday
fremdeles	still
frue	wife
fulde	full
full gaard	land measure-12 manadsmatbol
fulle navn for brudgommens far og brudens far	full name of bridegroom and bride's fathers
fylke	county

gaard, gård	farm
gaardbeboer	farm owner
gaardbruker	farmer
gaardeier	owner of a house
gaardgutt	heir to a farm
gaardmann	farm owner
gaard's bestyrer	farm manager
gaa till alters	take communion
gammel	old
gestgiver	inkeeper
gift	married
graffestede	buried
graver	graves
gudmoder	godmother
guostieneste	divine service
gutt	boy

Haandtering	occupation
haandværk	trade
handelsmand	businessman
haug	hill
hellighet	sanctity
hente	fetch
Herre	Lord
herred	district
hete	called
hjemme	at home
hjemmedaap	private baptism
hjulmager	wheelwright
hovedsogn	parsonage
hovegaard	main farm
høyde	height
hud	hides; a measurement
husarbeide	housework
husbonde	husband
husmand	tenant farmer with life tenure
hustru	wife
hvad	what
hvem	who
hvem som her forrettet hjemmedaap og daapsvidnernes navn	person doing private baptism and the names of witnesses
hverve	enlist
hvor	where
hyrde	shepherd

ihjel	to death
ikke gift	unmarried
inderst/innerst	farm worker

jeg	I
jente	girl
jerbanearbeider	railroad worker
jord	earth
jordbruger	farmer
jordbruk	farming
jordløs	without land
Jul	Christmas
julebukk	Christmas fools, clown

kaldet	called
kar	man
kasserer	treasurer
katekismus	catechism
kaupland	land purchased or owned by a person
kidre provst	kind minister
kirkebøker	church records
kirkegaard	church yard
kirkesanger	church song leader
kiste	trunk
kjær	dear
kjierlighet	love
kjobmand	businessman
kjøbte	purchase
klokker	church sexton
kempani	company
kone	wife
korn	grain
korporal	corporal
kreaturvei	cow path
krig	war
kristensjæl	Christian soul
kusine	female cousin
kusine	supper
kvern	mill
kvinde	woman
kvindeforening	Ladies Aid
kvindekøn	females
kvindemenneske	woman

lærer	teacher
lag	society
landmaaling	surveying
landsby	village
langmodighet	long suffering
laugværge	guardian
laupsbol	see manadsmatbol
legitimasjon for giftetillatelsen	permission to marry
leiefolk	hired help
leikone	hired woman
leilighet	something rented or leased
lensmand	sheriff
lensmandsdreng	son of parish sheriff
levebrød	livelihood
ligel	the same
ligeledes	also
lille	little
liten	little
lovlig	legal
lovlig arveskifte foretagen	legal inheritance
løitnant	lieutenant
lørdag	Saturday
lysningsdagen eller assframt lysning ikke har funnetsted, eller hvilken bevilgning	date marriage banns published and if not published, what type of license

mænd	men
maiermester	masterpainter
makkverk	messy work; botched job
maler	painter
manadsmatbol	land measure based upon the amount of land required to feed 1 man for 1 month
mannkjøn	sales
manntall	census
mark	unenclosed land
markarbeide	field work
marksbol	land value
Marts	March
mat	food
matrikier	real estate books
màne	moon
màned	month
med	with
medbragte attest	brought certificate
medhjælper med avlingen	help with fieldwork
meget godt	very good
mel	flour
menig	private (military rank)
menighet	congregation
menighetpleie	congregation charity
menneske	man
menneskelig	dinner
moder/mor	mother
morbror	maternal uncle (mother's brother)
morfar	maternal grandfather (mother's father)
morgen	morning
mormor	maternal grandmother (mother's mother)
moster	maternal aunt (mother's sister)
møller	miller
møte	met
murer	painter
musiker	musician
myndig	of age

nabobygd	neighborhood
næringsvej	occupation
næste	next
National soldat	national soldier
navn	name
navnet forandret	name at birth
nevø	nephew
niece	niece
niende	ninth
nock	also
nørdre	north
nummer	number
nummer i fødselsregistret	birth registration number
nuværende	present
nyder indlæg	on welfare

odel	allodial land - a field or meadow around a residence
offentlig	public
okse	ox
oldefar	great-grandfather
oldemor	great-grandmother
omgangsskole	ambulatory school (met at different houses)
onkel	uncle
onsdag	Wednesday
oporager	educator/person who brings a child up
opjgør	settlement of estate
oppholdsted	residence
opplysninger om vaksinasjon og konfirmasjon og vilket kikesamfund de tilhører	information about vaccinations, confirmation and religious affiliation
organisere	organize
o.s.v. (osv or saa videre)	et cetera
overkonstabel	sergeant
øvre	upper

pagt	covenant
Påske	Easter
personer	persons
pige	girl or maid
Pinsedag	Pentecost
plads	place
pleiebarn	foster child
prædike	preach
prækestol	pulpit
prest	priest/minister
prestegjeld	clerical district/parish

qv	married woman
qvinde	woman
qvindekiøn	women

register	register
rig	wealthy
rok	spinning wheel

sakfører	attorney
salig	dead
salmebok	hymn book
samboere	a couple living together without being legally married
samfund	community
samme	same
sammen	together
sæeter	summer pasture
seiskap	company
selveier	person who owns his residence
sin	his or hers
sidstenævntes	the last mentioned's son
sjæl	soul
sjette	sixth
skomager	shoemaker
sjømand	sailor
skatte	tax
skifte	probate
skifteprotokoller	probate register
skifteretten	probate court
skinn	land measure
skjegg	beard
skjøteprotokill	register of estates and titles
skogbeide	forest worker (lumberman)
skolemester	school master
skrædder	tailor
slegt	family, generation
slegtning	relatives
slektning	relative
smed	blacksmith
snedker	carpenter
sogn	parish
sogneprest	parish priest/minister
soldat	soldier
som	who
søn	son
søndag	Sunday
søskenbarn	cousin, first cousin
søster	sister
spedbarn	infant
spørsmaal	question
staavis	start
stadfestelse av hjemmedaap	verification of private baptism
statsarkiv	archive, library
steffsøn	stepson
stilling	occupation
stok	cane
stol	chair
stor	large
stortingsmand	Member of Norwegian Parliament (Storting)
studere	study
stykke	land measure
svare	answer
svigermor	mother-in-law
svigersøn	son-in-law
syvende	seventh

tante	aunt
tælle	count
tæring	tuberculosis
temmelig	okay
temmelig godt	fairly good
terskel	threshold
testament	testament, will
testeres	witnessed
tidligere næringsvei	previous occupation
tiende	tenth
tiennere	servants
tilbud	offer
tilgaards	to the farm
tilgivelse	forgiveness
tingbøker	court records
tirsdag	Tuesday
titel	title
tjene	serve
tjener for Løn	servant for hire
tjeneste	service
tjenestefolk	servants
tjenestekarl	male servant
tjenestepike	female servant or maid
tømmermand	timberman
torsdag	Thursday
trælsthandler	livestock dealer
tredje	third
tremenning	second cousin
trolovet	engaged
tvilling	twin
tyngsel	burden

uægte	illegitmate
udi	from/in
uekte	illegitimate
uge	week
ugift	unmarried
umyndige	not of age
under hvilket datum er ekteskapet stiftet	date of marriage
ungdom	young people
unge	child
ungkar	bachelor
utlandet	foreign country

vaaren	spring
vadmal	homespun
vagt	guard
vakker	beautiful
vaksinasjons og konfirmasjons opplysninger	vaccination & confirmation information
vanskelig	difficult
var	was
værende	living
været	been
værre	worse
værge	guardian
væver	weaver
vedhugger	woodcutter
vei	road
ven	friend
veninde	girlfriend
verden	world
vidnere	witnesses
vie	wed
vielsattest	marriage certificate
vielse	wedding ceremony
vigtig	important
virkelig soldat	soldier
visst	certainly
vogn	wagon
vokse	grow
Vorherre	Our Lord
vugge	cradle

yngre	younger
yngste	youngest
ypperlig	excellent