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Research Tools
Dictionary of Latin Words and Phrases
a.d., ante diem |
this phrase is usually followed by a specific number, e.g. ante diem quintum meaning 'five days before' the day of the event, and is used to record specific calendar dates. NB include both the day of the event and the day included, to reckon the correct date. Example: a.d. V Id. Mar. means ante diem quintum Idus Martias, which translates to 5 days before the 15th of March, or, the 11th of March.
  |
adsum |
to be present at, appear before, support, assist
|
abavia, abavus |
a person's great-great-grandmother or great-great-grandfather
|
ad perpetuam rei memoriam |
As(for) a perpetual record of the matter
|
ad ultimum |
finally
|
admissa fuit tenens |
was admitted a tenant
|
admitti tenens |
to be admitted as a tenant
|
adolescens, adulescens |
young man or woman between
15 and 30 years
|
aequalis |
something or someone being
of the same age as another
|
aetas; aetas
suae |
age; his or her
age
|
aetatum |
for life
|
aie.,
animae |
life, soul,
spirit
|
aliquis
tenens |
any tenant holding
|
aliter, and,
alius |
otherwise, and,
other
|
Am.,
Amen |
Amen
|
amicus humani
generis |
|
amita, amita magna,
amita maior, amita maxima |
a person's aunt,
grand-aunt, great-grandaunt, great-great-grandaunt on the male side
of the family
|
ancillae |
young servants
|
animo
imbecillus |
weak, frail
|
anno,
annus |
of or for one
year
|
anno
predicto |
in the
beforesaid/aforesaid year
|
annos natus
est |
a term used to indicate
the age of a person in years and will always be preceded by a
numeral, ex. octo annos natus est, meaning he/she is eight years
old, or was born eight years ago
|
annus
bissextus |
leap year
|
anonyma,
anonymus |
stillborn daughter
(anonyma) or son (anonymus
|
antea |
formerly
|
antiqorum |
ancient
|
Aprilis |
April
|
armenta |
cattle for
ploughing
|
armentales |
belonging to a herd
|
armentum |
a herd
|
armiger |
armour-bearer, used to
denote an esquire
|
atavia,
atavus |
a person's
great-great-great-grandmother or
great-great-great-grandfather
|
Augustus |
August
|
avia/avus |
a person's
grandmother/grandfather
|
avunculus, avunculus
magnus, avunculus maior, avunculus maximus |
a person's uncle,
grand-uncle, great-granduncle, great-great-granduncle on the female
side of the family
|
b.i.d., bis in
die |
twice a day
|
Beatae
memoriae |
of blessed
memory
|
biduum |
two days
|
biennium |
for a period of two
years
|
bis
anno |
twice a year
|
boves
iugales |
ox teams
|
campo |
field
|
capel |
chapel
|
caper, capra,
caprae |
male goat, female goat
|
capitis
damnare |
condemn to death
|
casus |
accident, fall, event,
misfortune
|
civis |
citizen
|
collactanea |
foster mother
|
coloni |
crofter, farmer, settler
or colonist
|
comes |
used to denote an
earl
|
coniugium |
in a marriage, or, the
state of being married
|
consobrina/consobrinus |
a person's female/male
first cousin on mother's side
|
consuetudinar |
customary
|
consuetudinariis |
customary tenant
|
consuetum
pretium |
customary price
|
contra
leges |
illegally
|
convivium |
a form of land tenure whereby the tenant was bound to provide meat and drink for his lord once per year
|
copia |
a copy. Also an opportunity or means of access to some item.
|
coram |
before or in the presence of
|
coram paribus |
before one's peers
|
cotari |
cottage
|
cott
idie |
every day
|
contra
leges |
illegally
|
convincere |
to prove guilty of an
offence
|
Cui., or Ciu =
cuius |
whose
|
Ciu aie ppict' ds Am =
Cuius animae propicietur deus, amen |
may God have mercy on his
soul
|
conicere |
to commit to
prison
|
cottidianus,
cottidie |
daily, everyday
|
croftum |
a croft
|
Cum ad
curia |
whereas at a
court
|
cum haec ita
sint |
under the
circumstances
|
cum suis per
tinentibus |
with their
appurtenances
|
cumque
etiam |
whereas also
|
D.,
defunct |
died
|
damnare |
to pass sentence for a
crime
|
debet |
owes, as in owes money
|
debent |
should, as in should
perform a specific act
|
Dei
gratia |
by the Grace of
God
|
denarius,
denarium |
an English penny
|
Dns or dni, Dominus or
Domini |
Lord
|
ds.,
deus |
God
|
d.s.p., decessit sine
prole |
died without
issue
|
d.s.p.l., decessit sine
prole legitima |
died without legitimate
issue
|
d.s.p.m. and
d.s.p.m.s., decessit sine prole mascula
superstite |
died without surviving
male issue
|
d.s.p.s., decessit sine
prole superstite |
died without surviving
issue
|
d.s.p.v.p., decessit
sine prole vita patris |
the individual died
without issue during the lifetime of his/her own father
|
d.s.p.v.m., decessit
sine prole vita matris |
the individual died
without issue during the lifetime of his/her own mother
|
DV, Deo
volente |
God willing
|
d.v.m., decessit vita
matris |
an individual who dies
during the lifetime of his/her own mother, implies that the
individual had living children at the time of his/her own
death
|
d.v.p., decessit vita
patris |
an individual who dies
during the lifetime of his/her own father, implies that the
individual had living children at the time of his/her own
death
|
dextans |
a measure equal to
five-sixths
|
diem de die, diem ex
die |
from day to day
|
diem
obire |
die
|
dies |
day
|
dimidia |
one-half of a measurement,
such as one-half of one acre
|
diurnas |
by day
|
dodrans |
a measure equal to
three-fourths, or, three-quarters
|
durante termino vite
sue |
during the term of her
life
|
durante
vita |
during life
|
durat
usque |
extends to, as in a
description of property e.g. the land extends to the roadway.
|
elapso
tempore |
the time having
passed
|
eorum |
their
|
episcopi,
episcopo |
a Bishop of a
church
|
equaliter |
equal, as in equal
proportions
|
equus/equites |
horses
|
errare humanum
est |
to err is human
|
et sequentes
(sequentia) |
to those that
follow
|
et sic de
ceteris |
and so of the
rest
|
ex sursum
redditione |
by the surrender
|
excipere |
to inherit
|
expositio,
narratio |
an account or story
|
exsequi |
to act upon
|
faber suae
fortunae |
a self-made
person
|
familiaritas |
to be acquainted with a
person
|
faveo
linguis |
keep silence
|
Februarius |
February
|
fecit |
made, executed,
completed
|
feodo, pro
feodo |
a fee, for the fee
of
|
fidei
defensor |
defender of the
faith
|
fieri |
be made
|
filia/filio vinca et heres |
the only surviving child (daughter/son) and heir of ....
|
Filiolus |
A godson
|
|
|
The eldest legitimate son
of a woman who was illicitly connected with that son's father before
their marriage.
|
|
|
Each of these expressions
were used to represent an illegitimate child: filius populi being a
son of the people; filius terrae being a son of the soil or earth;
filius nullius being a son of no man.
|
fossoris |
a person who digs, a
digger
|
frater or
fratres |
a person's
brother
|
frater
consanguineas |
a person's step-brother
sharing a common father
|
frater
uterinus |
a person's step-brother
sharing a common mother
|
fructus |
a tree crop
|
frumentum,
frumentarius |
corn, corn
dealer
|
fundi |
estate
|
funus |
funeral
|
furtum
facere |
commit a theft
|
gallina |
a hen
|
gener |
a person's
son-in-law
|
generosus |
used to denote a
gentleman
|
germanus |
a term used to describe
the fact that two people have the same parents - full brothers, full
sisters - a true or full relationship
|
Gloria
patri |
Glory be to the
Father
|
hac,
haec |
this
|
hac
voce |
under this word/phrase,
hereunder
|
haec
aetas |
this day, the present
day
|
handana |
a day's work
|
herbagium |
pasture, right of
pasture
|
heredes |
heirs
|
heredipeta |
the next heir
|
hereditaria |
heiress
|
hereditarie |
by inheritance
|
hereditarius |
hereditary heir
|
hereditas,
hereditatio |
inheritance
|
heres |
heirs
|
heres ex
triente |
an heir to one-third (of
an estate)
|
hic iacet
(jacet) |
here lies dead
|
hieme |
winter
|
hinc |
hence
|
hinc
inde |
hereupon
|
hora |
the hour, the time of day,
a season
|
hornus |
this year, or, this
year's
|
hsi or hse, hic
sepultus, hic est |
here is buried, here
is
|
hui eccli'e, huius
ecclesiae |
of this Church
|
humatio |
burying
|
iam
adero |
I'll be back
soon
|
Ianuarius |
January
|
Id.,
Idus |
the 13th day of mosty
months, but the 15th of March, May, July, October
|
Idem
tenet |
the same holds, as in
'...the same holds true for...'
|
ignobilitas |
of low-standing
birth
|
Ihs (Jhs)or Ihu (Jhu),
Ihesus (Jhesus) |
Jesus
|
illicitus |
illegal
|
imprimis |
especially, or
firstly/primary when used in a Will e.g. "Imprimis, I recommend my
soul...".
|
impubes |
under age
|
in
annum |
for one year
|
in
antea |
henceforth, for the
future
|
in articulo
mortis |
at the point of
death
|
in
continuatione |
in consideration
|
in curiam
domini |
in the Lord's (of the
manor) Court
|
in
dies |
daily
|
in facie
ecclesiae |
before the
Church
|
in
futuro |
henceforth
|
in
manifesto |
publicly
|
in
memoriam |
in memory of
|
in nomen
Dei |
in the name of
God
|
in nomine
Domini |
in the name of the
Lord
|
in
patria |
in one's home town or
native land
|
in
perpetuum |
forever
|
in saecula
saeculorum |
for ever and
ever
|
incerti
cognominis |
of uncertain
surname
|
infans |
a child or
infant
|
infelix |
ill-fated
|
ingenus,
ingenuus |
freeholder,
freeborn
|
inquillinus |
tenant or inhabitor
|
inter
diu |
during the day
|
inter sicarios
accusare |
to be charged with the
crime of murder
|
interfectrix |
murderess
|
interficere |
put to death
|
ita
distinguitur |
is thus described
|
iugam terrae |
a yoke of land, containing half a plough-land
|
iugerum |
an acre of land, (240 feet
by 120 feet)
|
Iulius |
July
|
Iunius |
June
|
iuvencae
(juvencae) |
heifers
|
iuvenci
(juvenci) |
young bulls
|
iuxta
(juxta) |
next to or beside
|
iuxta ecclesiam
de |
next to or beside the
Church of
|
Kal.,
Kalendis |
the first day of any
month
|
lac
mulgere |
milk
|
legem
doctore |
doctor of laws
|
leges
violare |
break the law
|
liber
rusticus |
free peasant
|
liberi, baro,
franchilanus |
freeman
|
ligna |
a piece of wood
|
lignum |
firewood
|
lucrum |
profit
|
Maius |
May
|
maleficium |
misdeed, a wrong,
mischief
|
maleficus |
criminal
|
malevolus |
malicious
|
malignus |
unkind, ill-natured,
spiteful
|
maritus |
husband
|
Martius |
March
|
mater |
mother
|
matertera, matertera
magna, matertera maior, matertera maxima |
a person's aunt,
grand-aunt, great-grandaunt, great-great-grandaunt on the female
side of the family
|
matre
orbus |
a child that is without a
mother
|
matrimonium |
a marriage
|
mercatores |
merchant or dealer in
goods
|
metreta,
metretae |
a liquid measure of about
9 gallons
|
mensis |
the month of; of or for a
month
|
menstruus |
monthly
|
mente
captus |
imbecile, insane
|
mercator |
a merchant
|
messus |
harvest
|
miles |
used to denote a
knight
|
modo ad hanc
curiam |
now to this
court
|
modo
venit |
now comes
|
morens
posuit |
sadly placed
|
moribundus,
moriens |
on one's death
bed
|
mors |
death
|
mortem sibi
consciscere |
commit suicide
|
MS or ms, memoriae
sacrum |
sacred to the memory
of
|
multo
die |
late in the day
|
nathale |
Christmas
|
natu minimus, also,
pullus |
youngest child
|
natu
minor |
to be younger than another
but not to be the youngest
|
natus
est |
was born
|
navem
conscendere |
to go abroad
|
nepos/neptis |
grandson/granddaughter
|
nex
interitus |
violent death
|
nobilitas |
of high-standing
birth
|
nomina
baptisatorum |
the names of those
baptised
|
nomina
defunctorum |
the names of those who
have died
|
nomina
nuptorum |
the names of those
married
|
nomina
sepultorum |
the names of those
buried
|
nomine |
in the name of, in respect
of, or, under the heading of
|
Non.,
Nonae |
the 5th day of most months
but the 7th of March, May, July, October
|
noverca |
step-mother
|
nudius; nudius
tertius |
days since, days ago; day
before yesterday
|
nullus tunc
venit |
no one came
|
nuptiae |
the marriage
ceremony
|
nurus |
a person's
daughter-in-law
|
nutruis |
foster child
|
obit |
died
|
obitus |
natural death
|
olim |
at times, or, at one time;
once, or, once upon a time; one day in the future
|
omnia et singla
premissa predictus |
all and singular of the
said premises
|
opifices |
craftsman, artisan or
maker of things
|
"or 'p' aia", is, orate
pro anima |
pray for the soul
of
|
orbus |
childless; but, when used
in relation to a child it indicates that the child is without a
father
|
oua |
eggs
|
ovis |
sheep
|
pascha |
Easter
|
pater |
father
|
patruelis |
a person's first cousin on
the male side of the family
|
patruus, patruus
magnus, patruus maior, patruus maximus |
a person's uncle,
grand-uncle, great-granduncle, great-great-granduncle on the male
side of the family
|
pecora |
livestock
|
pecus |
cows, can also imply a
flock of sheep
|
per
easdum |
by the same, as in 'by the
same terms the tenancy is held'
|
perendie |
day after
tomorrow
|
piscatores |
a fisher
|
piscaria,
pisceriis |
fishery, fisheries
|
pomarium |
an orchard
|
porcus |
pigs
|
pos.,
posuit |
placed
|
postea
crescentibus |
otherwise due
|
postridie |
the next day, or, the day
after
|
ppict'.,
propitius |
favourable,
gracious
|
praeut |
compared with
|
prata |
meadow or grassland
|
predictam |
aforesaid
|
presolvo |
paid for
previously
|
preterea |
moreover
|
prid.,
pridie |
the day immediately before
a specific day of any month
|
priscus |
aboriginal
|
privigna,
privignus |
a person's step-daughter,
step-son
|
pro defalta
tenentie |
by default of the
tenancy
|
proavia/proavus |
a person's
great-grandmother/great-grandfather
|
probatus |
approved, such as the case of a Will having been probated or proved in Court
|
pronepos/proneptis |
great-grandson/great-granddaughter
|
prout |
according as
|
pruneta |
plum trees
|
puella |
girl or young
wife
|
puellula |
little girl
|
puellus |
little boy
|
puer |
boy, child, son also a
term for a slave
|
pueritia
(puertia) |
childhood, youth
|
quadrans |
a measure equal to
one-fourth, or, one-quarter
|
quadragesima |
representing the 40 days
of Lent and therefor, taken as meaning Lent
|
quadriennium |
four years
|
quaestio inter
sicarios |
to stand trial for the
crime of murder
|
quaestores |
money lender or treasury
official
|
quando dominus uoluerit
(voluerit) |
when the Lord (of the
manor) shall wish
|
que fuit filia/fil et
heres |
who was the daughter/son
and heir
|
quedam |
a certain, as in referring
to a certain piece of land or property
|
quemlibet
terminum |
each term, such as in
calling for the dates of payment of monies due at certain times of
the year
|
quicumque legerit hunc
titulum |
whoever reads this
inscription
|
Quinctilis |
the term used to describe
the fifth month of the Roman calendar, which month we know as
July
|
quincunx |
a measure equal to
five-twelfths
|
quinquennium |
five years
|
quolibet |
each
|
quondam |
formerly
|
quotannis |
every year
|
R.I.P., requiescat in
pace |
may he/she rest in
peace
|
reddit |
renders, as in renders
service to another individual
|
redditionum et
servicii |
rights and
services
|
reliquam |
remainder
|
roda,
rode |
a rod (land
measurement)
|
sacerdos |
a priest
|
sciendum quod
omne |
let it be know that
all....
|
scilicet or "scilt" |
that is
|
scrofa |
sows
|
secundum consuetudem |
according to custom
|
seit
fuit |
was seized
|
seges |
cornfield, or crops in
general
|
semestre
spatium |
half of a year
|
semis |
a measure equal to
one-half
|
senectus |
old age
|
senex |
a man or woman 45 years of
age or older, old man, old woman
|
sepulcralis |
a funeral
|
sepulcretum |
cemetery
|
sepulcrum |
a grave or tomb
|
sepultura |
burial
|
seruicium (servicium)
militare |
military service
|
servi |
maid servants
|
sextans |
a measure equal to
one-sixth
|
Sextilis |
the term used to describe
the sixth month of the Roman calendar, which month we know as
August
|
silvae,
sylvae |
woodlands or
forests
|
sine, sine
die |
without, without a
date
|
socer |
mother's father, a man's
father-in-law
|
socrus |
mother's mother, a man's
mother-in-law
|
solidis |
an English shilling
|
solutio,
solutionis |
a payment made or to be
made
|
solvere, solvi, solvo,
solutum |
to pay
|
solvitur |
released, set free
|
soror |
sister
|
soror
consanguinea |
step-sister sharing a
common father
|
soror
uterina |
step-sister sharing a
common mother
|
sororis
maritus |
a wife's husband's
brother, a woman's brother-in-law
|
subinquillinus |
sub-tenant
|
sui iuris
est |
he is of age
|
suillus,
sus |
pigs
|
superannato |
a livestock
yearling
|
tempus
fugit |
time flies
|
tenens |
a tenant
|
tenet |
to hold, such as in
holding a piece of property
|
terminus |
a term as in the length of
time of a lease
|
terra ista iacet
(jacet) in |
this land lies in, as in,
this land lies in the parish of Melksham
|
terra
vocat |
land called
|
terrere |
cows
|
tertio quoque
anno |
every other year
|
testim et ultime
voluntatis |
last Will and
Testament
|
triduum |
three days
|
triennium |
for a period of three
years
|
triens |
a measure equal to
one-third
|
tritavia,
tritavus |
a person's
great-great-great-great-grandmother or
great-great-great-great-grandfather
|
ubi
supra |
where above
mentioned
|
uirgatam
(virgatam) |
a virgate (land
measurement)
|
ultimo |
often found in early
English parish registers to indicate the last day of a month rather
than the more formal prid. Kal., or pridie Kalendis ...
|
unamaliam |
another
|
uncia |
one-twelfth, or, one
ounce
|
uxor |
wife
|
uxoris frater |
a man's wife's brother, a
man's brother-in-law
|
uxoris soror |
a man's wife's sister, a
man's sister-in-law
|
vacca |
cows
|
vaccae fetal
(foetal) |
breeding cows
|
vaccae
steriles |
barren cows
|
valetudo |
ill-health
|
venia |
absolution
|
vetitus |
illicit
|
vinea,
vinetum |
grape vines,
vineyard
|
vir |
grown man, also, a
husband
|
vita
brevis |
life is short
|
vitricus |
step-father
|
vitulus/vitula |
male/female calf
|
vixit bene
plenis |
lived to be a good old
age
|
|
