COMMONLY USED WORDS, PHRASES AND SYMBOLS

IN FRENCH-CANADIAN GENEALOGICAL SOURCES

 

Stephen Charles Eno

 

(c)1996, 2002, 2005 Stephen Charles Eno

 

 

         This list is intended as a starting point for English speakers who are attempting to research their French-Canadian ancestry using French language sources. Although the meanings of many common words have changed little or none from the period of the French régime, many others have fallen out of use or have developed different meanings over the years. For the latter, the meanings given herein are primarily those in use during the 1600's and 1700's.

         This list is far from complete, but it does include a fair number of words common in documents of the period. As always suggestions and corrections are appreciated and, of course, all errors are entirely mine.

 

 

 

MEANING OF COMMONLY USED FRENCH WORDS, PHRASES AND SYMBOLS

IN FRENCH-CANADIAN GENEALOGICAL SOURCES

 

SYMBOL/ABBREVIATION                          MEANING

 

a., an ......................................................................... years (old)

ar., arrondissement ............................................. ward (urban), district (rural)

archev., archevêché ............................................ archdiocese

b., baptême ............................................................ baptism

co., comté ............................................................... county

ct., contrat .............................................................. contract

d., décès .................................................................. death

d., dis., disp., dispense ...................................... dispensation

ev., évêché ............................................................. diocese

f., feu, e ................................................................... the late, deceased (before the date in question)

id., au même endroit .......................................... at the same place

j., jour ...................................................................... days (old)

m., mariage ............................................................ marriage

m., mois .................................................................. months (old)

m. ct., mariage contrat ....................................... marriage contract

maj., mj, majeur ................................................... one who has reached his/her majority; see below

min., mn, mineur ................................................. one who is still a minor; see below

M., MM................................................................... Monsieur, Messieurs (term of address)

Mgr. .......................................................................... Monseigneur

M.R.C. ..................................................................... Municipalités Régionales de Comté

n., naissance .......................................................... birth

N..., nom inconnu, e ........................................... indicates that the given name or surname of an individual is unknown

ond., ondoyé, e ..................................................... provisional or emergency baptism, see below

P., PP. ...................................................................... Père, Pères: Father (term of address used with Roman Catholic clergy)

rec. 66, 67, 81, 14 ............................................... census of 1666, 1667, 1681, 1714

rem., remarié, e .................................................... remarried

s., semaines ........................................................... weeks (old)

s., sépulture ........................................................... burial, interment

s, signé, e ................................................................ signed; used to indicate that the specified person signed the record

s+ ............................................................................... signed; used to indicate the form of a signature when the spelling differs from the name as entered in the body of the record

S., SS. ...................................................................... Soeur, Soeurs: Sister (term of address used of Roman Catholic nuns)

v, ville ...................................................................... city

ve., veuve ............................................................... widow of

vf., veuf ................................................................... widower of

(...) ............................................................................ parents unknown

... ................................................................................ date unknown

†, x ............................................................................ deceased (before some act, usually the wedding date)

8 ................................................................................. pronounced like the French number "huit", or in English, "wheat"; used in writing Indian names where this sound occurs

 

 

WORD                                                                      MEANING

 

abandon ................................................................... renunciation of property or rights by explicit or tacit transmission to another individual

abatis, abattis ........................................................ partially cleared land (Can)

abattoir .................................................................... slaughterhouse

abatu, ue ................................................................. felled, cut down (trees); slaughtered for food (animals)

abjurer ..................................................................... to abjure, renounce, recant, especially, to renounce one's belief in a non-Catholic religion, usually Calvinism (Huguenot)

accord ...................................................................... amicable agreement between two or more persons which imposes mutual obligations one upon the other

accordé .................................................................... granted to, accorded to

accouchement ....................................................... childbirth

accusé, ée ............................................................... the accused (person in a criminal action)

acensement ............................................................ the system under which land was granted to individuals in New France

achat ......................................................................... purchased

acheter ..................................................................... to buy, to purchase; also slang for to give birth to

acquest, acquêt ..................................................... real property acquired through inheritance or gift from ancestors; acquêts do not fall into the community property of a marriage.

acquitter .................................................................. to release from or to discharge a debt

acte ........................................................................... an act, or an official document recording an act. This may refer to either a parish record or a notary record.

acte authentique ................................................... notarized record or document

acte de concession .............................................. the act of granting land, or the official record of such an act

acte de décès ......................................................... record of death

acte de mariage .................................................... record of marriage

acte de naissance ................................................. record of birth

acte non termine .................................................. record is incomplete

acte respectueux .................................................. a later term for sommations respectueuse (q.v.)

actuellement .......................................................... actually, now, at the present time

adoptif, ive ............................................................. adopted

adouée ..................................................................... endowed, given as dowry

advenant, advenire .............................................. to come about, to happen

advice et délibré .................................................. considered and resolved

affermer .................................................................. to rent a property or a right

âge minimal (au mariage) ................................ minimum legal age for marriage: 14 for males and 12 for females from medieval times to 1980; 18 for both after that, with a provision for lowering the age to 16 for serious reasons; canon law raised the ages to 16 for males and 14 for females in 1917 but allowed for dispensations down to the age of reason, i.e., 7

âgé, agée de ........................................................... aged, at the age of

agir ............................................................................ to act; to take effect; to prosecute or sue someone in a court of law

agnat, agnatique ................................................... descent through the same male line

agréable, ferme et stable ................................... acceptable, fixed and stable

aide ........................................................................... general term for a variety of taxes and fees imposed by seigneurs on their vassals (e.g., aide de mariage), by bishops on their faithful (e.g., denier de Pâques), or by the king (aides royales)

aïeul, aïeule ........................................................... grandfather, grandmother

aïeux ......................................................................... ancestors, forefathers (used only in the plural)

aîné, aînée .............................................................. eldest or older child; often used when there are two children with the same name: the elder is called l'aîné, the younger is called le cadet or le jeune

âme ........................................................................... soul, often used in enumerating people, e.g., six souls (people) were killed in the Iroquois attack.

Amerindien, nne .................................................. Native American man, woman

Amirauté, l' ............................................................ Admiralty Court

amont (de) .............................................................. up-river (from), uphill (from) (see aval de)

an ............................................................................... year, years, especially years of age, i.e., years old

ancêtres ................................................................... ancestors

ancien, nne ............................................................. old, ancient; former, ex- (when in front of someone's occupation)

Anglais, Anglaise ................................................ English; Englishman, Englishwoman

Angleterre .............................................................. England

année ........................................................................ year

année, á l' ................................................................ annually

annulé ...................................................................... annulled, rendered null and void (contract), annulled (marriage contract)

annuler ..................................................................... to cancel; to annul, invalidate, render null and void, rescind, revoke

anobli, anoblie ...................................................... ennobled, conferred with a title

anonyme ................................................................. unnamed, not given a name; when this appears in a baptism or burial record, it is generally the sign of a stillbirth or late-term spontaneous abortion

anse ........................................................................... a small shallow bay

apoplexie ................................................................ apoplexy, i.e., a stroke

apparenté, e ........................................................... allied by marriage

apport ....................................................................... personal property obtained by a husband or wife before their marriage and brought to the marriage (see also hêritages)

après ......................................................................... after

après-midi .............................................................. afternoon, p.m.

archevêché ............................................................. archdiocese

archives civiles ..................................................... the body of vital records maintained by a regional government (as opposed to the original records maintained by the parishes). Parish priests were required to maintain a copy of the parish register and to forward this copy to the civil authorities at the end of each year. Generally speaking, the term archives civiles refers to these copies of the original parish registers maintained by regional governments. Note that, in cases where parish records have been lost or destroyed, it may be possible to find a copy of the missing records in the archives civiles.

ardoise ..................................................................... slate (used for roofing)

armoiries ................................................................. coat of arms (used only in the plural)

arpent (longeur) ................................................... unit of length in New France: 10 perches, 30 toises, 180 pieds or 191.835 English feet

arpent (superficie) ............................................... unit of area: 36,864 square feet or approximately 7/8 of an acre

arpentage ................................................................ the area of a plot of land in arpents

arrêt .......................................................................... a judgment or decision by a court or sovereign justice by which a question of fact or of law is decided; a court order for the arrest of a person or seizure of property.

arrièré ...................................................................... overdue, in arrears

arrière ...................................................................... rear, back; sub; corresponds to the prefix great when used with kinship terms, see below

arrière arrière grand-mère ................................ great great grandmother

arrière arrière grand-père ................................. great great grandfather

arrière arrière petite-fille .................................. great great granddaughter

arrière arrière petit-enfant ................................ great great grandchild

arrière arrière petit-fils ...................................... great great grandson

arrière fief .............................................................. sub-fief, a fief conceded, or granted, by a seigneur from within his (larger) fief; in contrast with a roture, which could not be subdivided, a sub-fief could be further divided into sub-fiefs or rotures

arrière grand-mère .............................................. great grandmother

arrière grand-père ................................................ great grandfather

arrière petite-fille ................................................ great granddaughter

arrière petit-enfant .............................................. great grandchild

arrière petit-fils .................................................... great grandson

arrivé ........................................................................ arrived

arriver ...................................................................... to arrive

arrondissement ..................................................... district (administrative subdivision of French departments and major cities)

ascendance ............................................................. ancestry

assiette ..................................................................... the base used for calculating a particular tax

assigner ................................................................... to assign money or property to someone in payment of a debt; to subpoena a witness, to issue a writ against someone (for example, for defamation), to place someone under house arrest.

assister á ................................................................. to witness, to be a witness to something

assister de ............................................................... to be assisted by (someone)

aucun empêchement ........................................... no impediment, especially to marriage between related persons whose relationship is sufficiently distant; see dispense

augmenté, e ........................................................... increased (in size), added to

aujourd'hui ............................................................. today, this day

aurons et ferons .................................................... shall have and gain

aussi ......................................................................... also

autrefois .................................................................. formerly, in past times

aval (de) .................................................................. down-river (from), downhill (from) (see amont de)

avance d'hoirie ..................................................... an advance on an inheritance

avant ......................................................................... before

avant veille, l' ........................................................ the day before yesterday; l'avant veille de, two days before

avec .......................................................................... with (a person), with (an instrument)

aveu et denombrement ...................................... a declaration and inventory of a seigneurie listing rotures and their holders, cleared land, buildings, livestock, etc., and used as a base for calculating taxes; an aveu et denombrement was required with every mutation of a seigneurie, whether by inheritance or by purchase

aveu .......................................................................... act by which a vassal obtains various fiefs, lands, or rights from his seigneur

ayans cause, ayants cause ................................ legal term referring jointly to those to whom the rights of one or more individuals, especially the heirs of an estate, have been or will later be transferred by specific title, bequest, donation, sale, etc.; see "hoirs et ayans cause". Used only in the plural.

ayans droit, ayants droit ................................... legal term referring to all persons having an interest in or right in something, usually property. Used only in the plural.

ayeul, e .................................................................... grandfather, grandmother (variant spelling of aïeul, e)

ayeux ........................................................................ ancestors, forefathers (variant spelling of aïeux; used only in the plural)

bail, baux ................................................................ lease, leases; see bail à ferme

bail à ferme ............................................................ a lease to work or otherwise use a property or building for a fixed price for a fixed period of time, both of which would be stipulated in the lease. A bail confers no rights other than that of using the property for the period specified in the lease in return for and dependent upon payment of the amount specified in the lease. It also required no fulfillment of feudal obligations, which were the responsibility of the owner.

bail à loyer ............................................................. a rental agrement on a house or apartment

banalité .................................................................... annual fee paid a censitaire for the use of his seigneur's common facilities, such as the community grist mill, and for other services provided

banc, s ...................................................................... a pew in a church

banlieue ................................................................... outskirts (of a town), suburbs

bans (de mariage) ................................................ marriage banns, a public announcement that a marriage between two individuals is to take place. The purpose was to allow anyone with (legal) objections to the marriage to come forth before the wedding. Traditionally, the banns were announced in church on each of the three Sundays preceding the wedding; by the late 1800's, they were announced only once. Marriage banns may also be published in newspapers, etc.

baptême ................................................................... baptism

baptisé, e ................................................................. baptized

baptistère ................................................................ birth certificate (= acte de naissance) (Canadian French)

barque ...................................................................... barque, or bark, a three-masted ship with square-rigged fore- and main-masts and fore-and-aft-rigged mizzen-mast

basse ville (de) Québec ..................................... lower village of Quebec (city)

bateau, x................................................................... boat, ship

bâtiment .................................................................. edifice, ship. This term can refer to both large buildings and other edifices, such as forts and aqueducts, and to large ships.

beau-fils .................................................................. son-in-law; stepson

beau-frère ............................................................... brother-in-law

beau-père ................................................................ father-in-law; stepfather

bélier ........................................................................ ram, a male sheep

belle-famille .......................................................... one's in-laws, one's spouse's family

belle-fille, belles-filles ...................................... daughter-in-law (daughters-in-law); stepdaughter

belle-mère .............................................................. mother-in-law; stepmother

belle-soeur, belles-soeurs ................................. sister-in-law (sisters-in-law)

belle-tante .............................................................. aunt-in-law; wife of one's uncle or aunt of one's spouse

bel-oncle, beloncle ............................................. uncle-in-law; husband of one's aunt or uncle of one's spouse

benjamin, ine ........................................................ the preferred or fondest child in a family, usually the youngest or last born (from the name of the last and most beloved of Jacob's twelve sons)

besson, onne .......................................................... a twin child

bêtes á cornes ....................................................... literally beasts with horns, but in documents of the period, this term refers generically to oxen, cattle, and goats in contrast to ewes and wethers (castrated rams raised primarily for food)

biens ......................................................................... possessions, property, chattels

biens communs .................................................... property or goods held jointly by two or more indviduals

biens immeubles .................................................. real estate, real property (immovable property)

biens immobliers ................................................. real estate, real property (immovable property)

biens meubles ....................................................... personalty, personal property (movable property)

biens mobiliers ..................................................... personalty, personal property (movable property)

biens propres ......................................................... personal property, movable or immovable, especially property held by a husband or wife in his or her own name and not considered part of their community property

billet ......................................................................... privately drawn up document obliging some person to pay a stipulated sum of money to the bearer of the billet (essentially a promissory note)

bisaïul, e ................................................................. great grandfather, great grandmother

blason ...................................................................... coat of arms, blazon; heraldry

blessé, e ................................................................... injured, wounded

blessure ................................................................... injury, wound

boeuf ........................................................................ castrated bull of a bovine family, especially one raised as a draft animal or for food. The first meaning is also the definition of an ox, so boeuf commonly refers to oxen.

bon gré .................................................................... good will

bon, loyal et marchand ...................................... unadulterated and stable

bourgeois ................................................................ member of the middle classes, townsman; generally, a shopkeeper, tradesman, or merchant living in a city or town and having the right to vote

brébis ....................................................................... ewe, a female sheep

bru ............................................................................. the wife of one's son, daughter-in-law

brulé, e ..................................................................... burned, especially killed by the Iroquois torture of burning captives alive

bureau ...................................................................... government (local or national) office

cabale ....................................................................... see cavale

cadastre ................................................................... land register, official land survey

cadet, cadette ........................................................ younger or youngest child; see aîné, This term is also applied to branches of a family; thus, a cadet branch is founded by a younger son.

canton ...................................................................... township. Following the Conquest, the British government established townships in unsettled lands outside of the already established seigneuries. These townships were ten miles square and were divided into ten ranges (rang) of 28 plots that were 30 arpents wide by a mile deep. See also commune.

carême, la ............................................................... Lent

Carignan-Salières Régiment ........................... regiment of soldiers brought to New France in 1665 to subdue the Iroquois; many soldiers remained to settle after the regiment returned to France in 1667, becoming major source of ancestors and of dit names; consisted of 24 companies of 50 soldiers and officers each

carré, e ..................................................................... square, squared (in quantities)

carte .......................................................................... map

cathédrale ............................................................... a church at which a bishop or archbishop maintains his seat, i.e., his headquarters, and as such, there is one cathedrale in each diocese or archdiocese. The bishop decides which church in his diocese will function as his cathédrale and may change the church at will. The term cathédrale is not part of the name of the designated church, but is frequently used in place of the actual name of the church in genealogy records, leading to some confusion since it is necessary to know the diocese in which the act takes place in order to determine the actual name and location of the church in question.

cavale ....................................................................... a mare, a female horse

caveau ...................................................................... vault, crypt, burial chamber (within a church)

célibitaire ................................................................ single, unmarried (m. or f.)

cens et rentes ......................................................... token tax (levied only by a seigneur on his rotures) and rent paid annually by a censitaire to his seigneur; usually a few sous per arpent, payable in silver or kind

censitaire ................................................................ one who has been conceded a roture within a fief or sub-fief on specific conditions and who owes his seigneur payment of a cens

cession ..................................................................... transmission of rights, property, or debts to another

chaloupe................................................................... shallop; a boat propelled by oars or by a sail for use in shallow waters or as a means of landings from larger vessels

cimetière ................................................................. cemetery

cité, e ........................................................................ cited; indicates that the individual's name appears in a record or document on the specified date; may also indicate the residence or occupation if they appear in the record. Jetté usually presents the earliest citation found regarding an individual in New France when there is no other record indicating specifically when the individual arrived in the New World. He may also indicate the last citation found concerning an individual whose whereabouts became unknown.

citoyen, enne ......................................................... citizen

clair biens ............................................................... unencumbered property

codicille .................................................................. addition or amendment to a will

communauté .......................................................... community

communauté des biens ...................................... a common type of marriage contract in which all real property not acquired individually by direct inheritance belonged jointly to both spouses; a community property regime. (See also séparation des biens.)

Communauté des Habitants ............................ a fur-trading company established by Samuel Champlain in 1635

commune ................................................................ a township; see also canton

commune ................................................................ the commons, or common pasture land, in a seigneurie; usually a strip of land along the St. Lawrence River.

compagnie .............................................................. company of soldiers or of businessmen

Compagnie de la Nouvelle France ............... see Compagnie des Cents-Associés

Compagnie des Cents-Associés .................... Company of 100 Associates (seigneurs and administrators of New France 1627-63)

Compagnie des Indes Occidentales ............. West India Company (seigneurs and nominal administrators of New France 1664-74)

Compagnie Franche de la Marine ................. French ground troops recruited for service in overseas colonies, and therefore under the rule of the Départment de la Marine. The companies were "franche", that is, composed of free volunteers who were recruited for an enlistment of six years and who were encouraged to settle in the colony in which they were stationed. The Marines were organized and dispatched as independent companies which, like other French army companies of the time, were identified by the name of their commander.

comté ....................................................................... county

concession .............................................................. a grant of land (as opposed to a purchase of land); a concession conferred rights of ownership, i.e., the right to sell the land, lease it, pass it on to inheritors, to the recipient as well as the requirement for the recipient to fulfil certain feudal obligations to the grantor, i.e., cens et rentes, banalités

confirmé, e ............................................................. confirmed

congé ........................................................................ a license to trade (especially one to trade in furs). A limited number of congés were issued annually to individuals or groups of individuals in return for a given fee.

conjoint, e .............................................................. husband, wife

conquêt .................................................................... property acquired by a husband and wife during their marriage and forming part of their community property.

Conseil Souverain ............................................... the Sovereign Council; formed in 1663 by the King, the Council consisted of the governor-general and the bishop, and later the intendant, who together selected five additional councilors. Intially, the Council held executive and legislative powers, but late in the French régime, it functioned as the highest court in the land.

contrat ...................................................................... contract

contrat de mariage .............................................. marriage contract; an agreement between a man and a women who plan to marry stipulating the property system and financial arrangments of their marriage, the dowery and other assets to be brought into the marriage (as well as assets to be provided by each of their families), the ownership of these assets, inheritance rights, legal commitments to each other and to their children (including children from preceding marriages), and so forth. Note that the contrat de mariage itself does NOT constitute an act of marriage, civil or otherwise, and that a marriage contract was not required for two individuals to be married. Marriages that were not governed by a marriage contract were governed by the provisions of the Coutume de Paris, but the shortage of women in New France allowed women to ask for and receive better terms that were provided under the Coutume de Paris. A marriage contract was required to supercede any of the provisions of the Coutume de Paris.

contrée ..................................................................... district, region

cordon ...................................................................... back end of a farm (Can)

corvée ...................................................................... work owed by a censitaire to his seigneur; usually a few days a year, working on common roads, grounds, etc.

côte ........................................................................... coast, shore (of a river), slope of a hill or mountain. In New France, the term came to refer to individual settlements along the rivers, and later, to settlements inland as well.

couches (fpl) ......................................................... the lying-in period, the period during which a woman is confined to bed with childbirth. This period includes both the time prior to actual childbirth and the time of recovery following childbirth. (Note: this word is always plural in this sense.)

cour ........................................................................... (judicial) court

cour d'appel .......................................................... court of appeals

cousin, e .................................................................. cousin

cousin germain ..................................................... first cousin (m)

cousine germaine ................................................ first cousin (f)

cousins issus de germains ................................ children of first cousins, i.e., second cousins

cousins remués de germains ........................... children of first cousins, i.e., second cousins

Coutume de Paris ................................................ the Custom of Paris, i.e., the customary, or common, law of Paris, which was the basis for most of the law governing New France

créancier ................................................................. creditor

culte .......................................................................... a religion, faith (a dispensation was required for Catholics to marry those of other religions)

curateur ................................................................... one who has legal responsibility for the property of a minor in contrast with a tuteur, or guardian, who bore legal responsibility for the well-being and upbringing of a minor; in some cases, both resposibilities might be born by the same individual or individuals

curé ........................................................................... a priest who is responsible for the spiritual affairs of a parish; a pastor (US) or vicar (Anglican)

dans .......................................................................... in, into

date ........................................................................... date

de fait ....................................................................... in fact, de facto

de gré à gré ............................................................ by mutual agreement

de, du [de le], des [de les] ................................ from; of; some

décédé, e ................................................................. deceased

décès ........................................................................ death

déclaration ............................................................. statement acknowledging a past act

défunt, e .................................................................. late, deceased

délaissement .......................................................... voluntary renunciation of an inheritance or a bequest in order to free oneself of any responsibilities it entails

demain ..................................................................... tomorrow

demeurant .............................................................. living at, staying at

demeure .................................................................. residence, dwelling

demeurer à ............................................................. to live or reside at

demi-frère .............................................................. half-brother

demi-soeur ............................................................. half-sister

denier ....................................................................... smallest unit of French regime currency; 12 deniers = 1 sou or sol

département ........................................................... department, one of the administrative divisions of France

déposé ...................................................................... deposited with, filed with (a notary)

dépôt ........................................................................ the deposit of a document originally drawn up privately with the office of a notary for addition to notary's records [thereby making an official record of the document]

dernier-né, dernière-née ................................... last-born child, youngest child

dès ............................................................................. from, by (time); from... onwards (ordinal numbers); from, beyond (place)

desservant .............................................................. priest who is resident in one parish and provides services to another parish or mission; non-resident pastor. Such cases were common in New France where there was a constant shortage of priests to supply all of the parishes.

diocèse ..................................................................... diocese

dispense .................................................................. dispensation, exemption; especially a dispensation allowing closely related persons to marry (the degree of kinship is usually given as the number of generations of each person from the common ancestor, e.g., 2/3, 3/3; a single number indicates that both are descended to the same degree, i.e., 3e = 3/3); a dispensation was also required to marry someone of a different "culte", or religion, to marry without three publications of the marriage banns, or to marry someone under the legal age for marriage.

dit, e .......................................................................... "also called", introduces a sobriquet. "Dit names" are a uniquely French Canadian custom in which an individual takes on or is given a sobriquet which is appended to or is used in place of the ancestral family name and which that individual's descendents may also use.

domaine .................................................................. has three meanings: 1) the royal domain, or all land not conceded to to anyone, and therefore, belonging to the king, i.e., crown land; 2) the portions of a seigneurie not subconceded to others, and therefore belonging to the seigneur; 3) the portion of a seigneurie set aside for the personal use of the seigneur.

Domaine du Roi .................................................. the King's Domain, a portion of land that remained directly in the King's hands and was not conceded to anyone else. The King's Domain consisted of a vast area inland from the eastern shore of the St. Lawrence beginning north of the seigneurie of Les Eboulements. Fishing and trading rights in territory were leased to companies and individuals with the revenues accruing directly to the King.

domicile .................................................................. domicile, residence

domicilié, e à ........................................................ domiciled, residing at

don ............................................................................ a gift

don mutuel ............................................................. agreement between husband and wife making each heir to property or estate following the death of the other

donation .................................................................. see donation entre vifs

donation entre vifs .............................................. donation inter vivos; transactions made while both parties are living, especially the giving of property prior to death in return for stated benefits

donnée, s ................................................................. datum, data; piece of information, information

dot ............................................................................. dowry, the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage; also a sum of money or its equivalent required of postulants by some religious communities (e.g., cloistered nuns)

douaire ..................................................................... dower, the portion of or interest in the real estate of a deceased husband that is given by law to his widow for the duration of her life

doué, e ..................................................................... (to have been) endowed

droit .......................................................................... right, rights, especially the right of king or seigneur to receive certain payments; in time, the word came to refer to the payments themselves, i.e., taxes

échange ................................................................... an agreement to exchange land

échoir ....................................................................... to fall due (e.g., a loan repayment)

écrasé (par la chûte d'un arbre) ..................... crushed (by a falling tree)

écu ............................................................................. a shield, especially one bearing a coat of arms

écu ............................................................................. a silver coin under the French regime, varying in value between three and six livres

église ........................................................................ church

empêchement ........................................................ impediment, especially an impediment to marriage based on kinship, age, or differences in religion; see dispense

en ............................................................................... in, during, within (a time or place)

en bas, basse .......................................................... down-river (St. Laurence); towards the river

en couche ............................................................... in labor (with childbirth)

en foi de quoi ........................................................ in testimony whereof

en haut, e ................................................................ up-river (St. Laurence); away from the river; see also pays en haut

en leur personne .................................................. in person

en lieu et place de ............................................... on behalf of

en mer ...................................................................... at sea, while onboard a ship at sea

en présence de ...................................................... in the presence of, before (witnesses)

en valeur ................................................................. under cultivation

enceinte ................................................................... pregnant (with child)

endroit ..................................................................... place, spot

enfant ....................................................................... child

enfant en nourrice ............................................... child who is still nursing

enfant naturel ........................................................ illegitimate child

engagé ..................................................................... engaged, hired, usually as a an indentured servant or as a skilled craftsman by one of the wealthier settlers or seigneurs for a contractual period of time (usually three years) and specific pay. The contract usually included round-trip passage although many elected to stay rather than return to France. This term does not refer to enlistment in military service, as has been stated in some books.

engagé Ouest ........................................................ hired as a voyageur to transport, trap, or trade furs in the western territories of New France

engagement ........................................................... the agreement between an employer and an indentured servant or skilled craftman

enlevé, e .................................................................. kidnapped; especially kidnapped by Indians in a raid

enlever ..................................................................... to kidnap

enquête .................................................................... investigation, inquiry

ensevelir ................................................................. to entomb, bury (a person)

ensuite ..................................................................... later, afterwards

enterré, e ................................................................. interred, buried

enterrer .................................................................... to inter, bury (someone)

entre .......................................................................... between

épousailles ............................................................. nuptials

épouse ...................................................................... wife, spouse

épousée ................................................................... bride

épouser .................................................................... to marry

époux ....................................................................... husband, spouse

est .............................................................................. east

et ................................................................................ and

établi ........................................................................ established; with à, took up residence at, settled at

état ............................................................................ state

état-major ............................................................... general staff, headquarters (of a regiment)

États-Unis .............................................................. United States (of America)

évêché ...................................................................... diocese

évêque ..................................................................... bishop

exécution de contrat ........................................... fulfillment of a contract, pursuant to a contract

exécution de jugement ...................................... enforcement of a judgment

fabrique ................................................................... a corporation formed of current and former marguilliers and responsible for administering the finances and material affairs of a parish. In the French system, the fabrique is executive; the pastor is a non-voting member and the decisions of the fabrique are final. (In the U.S. system, the fabrique is consultative; the decisions of the pastor are final.)

faire porter ............................................................. to cause to be done

faire valoir ............................................................. to place under cultivation

faisant pour ............................................................ done on behalf of, acting on behalf of

faubourg ................................................................. suburb

fausse couche (fs) ............................................... miscarriage, spontaneous abortion

femme ...................................................................... wife, woman

femme-sage ........................................................... see sage-femme

ferme......................................................................... a contract by which an owner of a land, building, inheritance, income, or right abandons enjoyment thereof to another individual for a fixed price and for a fixed period of time. Over time, the term also came to refer to land thus leased, especially for agriculture and the individual who actually worked the land was called a fermier. Thus, during the period of the French régime, the term fermier generally means a tenant farmer. (Note also that fermier can refer to an individual who holds a contract with the King to collect taxes on his behalf for a fixed period of time in return for a percentage of the taxes collected.)

fête ............................................................................ feast, festival, celebration

feu et lieu ................................................................ house and home

feu, e ........................................................................ late, deceased

feuille volant ......................................................... a loose sheet of paper. This term commonly refers to a parish register record that a traveling priest recorded on a loose sheet of a paper and later simply inserted in the appropriate location in the register when he returned to the parish. Unfortunately, many of these have become separated and lost over the years, which could account for missing records in a register that otherwise appears complete for the period in question.

fiançailles, fiançuailles ..................................... engagement, betrothal

fief ............................................................................. fief, seigneurie

fieffé, e .................................................................... enfoeffed, to be granted a fief

fille ........................................................................... daughter, girl

fille aînée ................................................................ eldest daughter

Filles du Roi .......................................................... women given passage and a dowry by the King of France to come to New France and marry settlers during the period between 1663 and 1673, thereby becoming a major source of ancestors

filleul, e ................................................................... godson, goddaughter

fils ............................................................................. son, boy; following a person's name: the son, where father and son have the same name (e.g., Pierre Hénault père et Pierre Hénault fils = Pierre Hénault Sr. and Pierre Hénault Jr.)

fils aîné .................................................................... eldest son

flûte, en.................................................................... said of a French man-of-war that ahs been pressed into service to transport mean or provisions. Many or all of her guns are removed or are laid down in the hold.

foi et homage ........................................................ declaration of loyalty by a seigneur to the higher seigneur, or the king, from whom he has received his fief

franc ......................................................................... a silver coin under the French regime = one livre

franc, franche......................................................... free, exempt of taxes charges, obligations, etc.; free, volunteer

franc et quitte ........................................................ free and exempt of taxes, charges, or obligations

frère .......................................................................... brother

frère consanquin .................................................. half-brother (of the same father)

frère par alliance .................................................. stepbrother

frère utérin ............................................................. half-brother (of the same mother)

fronteau, frontaille .............................................. the front end of a farm (Can)

gamin, e .................................................................. youngster, kid

garçon ...................................................................... boy, a bachelor (of any age, the phrase 'vieux garçon', or 'old bachelor', appears in records)

gendre ...................................................................... son-in-law

genre ........................................................................ type, sort; gender, sex

goéllette .................................................................. a schooner (ship)

gouvernment ......................................................... government, specifically, the five regional administrative districts of New France: Québec, Trois-Rivières, Montréal, Acadia, and Louisiana, each of which had its own governor assisted by a king's lieutenant for military affairs and a delegate from the intendant for civil affairs.

Grand Dérangement, Le ................................... the common French-Canadian term for the forced expulsion of the original Acadian settlers from their homeland by the British in 1755.

grand vicaire ......................................................... grand vicar; under the bishop and vicar general of New France at Québec, a grand vicaire was appointed as the highest ecclesiatic official in each of the three governments of Québec, Trois-Rivières, and Montréal.

grand-mère ............................................................ grandmother

grand-oncle ............................................................ great uncle

grand-père .............................................................. grandfather

grand-tante ............................................................. great aunt

gré ............................................................................. one's will, wishes

greffe ........................................................................ the collection of records held by a notary or registrar

greffier ..................................................................... notary, registrar

habitant ................................................................... nominally, resident of New France, as opposed to traders, military personnel, dignitaries and other transient visitors. Over time, it came to mean a settler, especially one who settled on a piece of land, and thence came to mean a farmer; today in Quebec it refers to a French-Canadian pioneer, an early immigrant and settler. Thus, its precise meaning would depend on the time period of its use.

habits et hardes .................................................... clothing and apparel

hameau, x ............................................................... hamlet

hardes ...................................................................... originally, the totality of one's personal clothing and apparel (now, old, unusable clothing)

haute ville (de) Québec ..................................... upper village of Quebec (city)

hériter ...................................................................... to inherit

héritier, ère ............................................................ inheritor

heure, s .................................................................... hour, hours

hier ............................................................................ yesterday

hier soir ................................................................... yesterday evening

hivernant ................................................................. someone who winters over in some place; for example, one might remain in the woods logging all winter or a voyageur might return in the spring rather than the autumn. This term is also used to refer to non-resident French traders who stayed over for a winter instead of returning to France in the fall with the fleet.

hoirs ......................................................................... heirs in a direct line of descent

hoirs et ayans cause ............................................ heirs and assigns, i.e., direct heirs and their assignees. This phrase allows an heir to pass property on to his or her heirs, to assign or sell it to other individuals, etc.

homme ..................................................................... man

hôpital ...................................................................... until the 1800's, this word referred to a charitable institution established for the purpose of lodging, feeding, treating, and caring for the poor and homeless, a poor house; note that the functions of an hôpital extend beyond simply caring for the sick who are indigent; from the early 1800's, the word came to mean hospital as we know the term today

hôpital général ...................................................... see hôpital

hôtel .......................................................................... originally, a large residence used by royalty; during the period of the French regime, this referred to a general hospital, and later still, to many large public buildings, for example, an hôtel de ville is a city hall

Hôtel Dieu ............................................................. a hospital established for the general care of the sick and dying; the first two hospitals in New France were the Hôtel Dieu de Québec and the Hôtel Dieu de Montréal

huguenot, e ............................................................ a Huguenot, a French protestant (Calvinist)

hypothèque ............................................................ mortgage

illégitime ................................................................ illegitimate (child), unlawful (act)

immeuble ................................................................ real estate, real property (i.e., immovable property)

immobilier ............................................................. real estate, real property (i.e., immovable property)

inconnu, e ............................................................... unknown man, unknown woman

indemnité ................................................................ compensation, damages

inhumation ............................................................. interment, burial

inhumé, e ................................................................ interred, buried

interdit ..................................................................... forbidden, prohibited

interpolée ................................................................ inserted, interpolated

invalide ................................................................... disabled; disabled person

inventaire ................................................................ inventory (of an estate after death), especially one conducted prior to remarriage by the surviving spouse to protect the rights of children from the previous marriage(s)

jeune ......................................................................... young, younger; often used for the younger of two children, see aîné

jouir .......................................................................... to have the full use, possession, enjoyment, or command of something

jouissance ............................................................... the use, possession, enjoyment, or command of something

jour, s ....................................................................... day, days

jugé et condamné ................................................ tried and convicted

jugement ................................................................. verdict, sentence, ruling, judgment

jumeau, elle ........................................................... a twin child

jurement .................................................................. swearing an oath to tell the truth

jurer .......................................................................... to swear, affirm (in a court), to take an oath (of fidelity, etc.)

lacune ...................................................................... gap, omission (in a set of records); usually indicates that the records for the specified time have been lost or destroyed

lecture faite ............................................................ reading conducted; it was required that a church record or notarial document be read aloud for the benefit of those who could not read to insure that it was correct before it was signed; this reading is still required by law in Quebec despite the fact that most people today can read.

légataire .................................................................. one to whom a testator has made a legs, or bequest

légitime ................................................................... legitimate, lawful

legs ........................................................................... a bequest in a will or testament (same form in singular and plural)

léguer ....................................................................... to bequeath

lendemain, le ......................................................... the day after, the next day

lettres de noblesse ............................................... document formally raising a person to the nobility; must be registered to be effective

lieu ............................................................................ place

lieue .......................................................................... unit of distance in New France, a league: 84 lineal arpents, 16,198.14 English feet, or approximately 2.8 English miles

lignage ..................................................................... lineage

ligne .......................................................................... (family) line, branch

ligne .......................................................................... see rang

livre .......................................................................... unit of currency under the French regime: 1 livre = 20 sous (sols) = 240 deniers

livre .......................................................................... unit of weight: 1 pound (Can)

locataire .................................................................. roomer, lodger

lods et ventes ........................................................ a tax placed on the mutation of real property held en censive by other than a deed of succession, i.e., inheritance; usually 1/12 of the sale price payable to the seigneur; see also retrait roturier and retrait lignagner

longeur .................................................................... length; however, frequently used to mean width in contrast with depth away from the river or road, as in a roture 2 arpents wide (de longeur) by 10 arpents deep (de profondeur)

louis .......................................................................... a gold coin bearing the king's image and worth 10 livres

maintenue ............................................................... confirmation of possession

mairie ....................................................................... town hall; city council; mayor's office

maison ..................................................................... house, home

maison de commune .......................................... town hall

majeur, e ................................................................. one who has reached the legal age of majority: 25 under the French regime (-1782), 21 under the British regime (1782-1804), 18 under the Civil Code for the French (1804-1866), 21 under the Civil Code for Lower Canada (1866-1972), and 18 currently; see mineur

malade ..................................................................... a patient, a person who is ill (m. or f.)

marâtre .................................................................... stepmother

marché ..................................................................... contract in which one or more people agree to carry out an enterprise for a fixed period of time for the benefit of one or more different people, e.g., a marché to construct a church or house

marge ....................................................................... margin, often used to introduce a note found in the margin of a record

marguillier ............................................................. a member of the parish fabrique. The fabrique usually consisted of all former marguilliers and three currrent marguilliers, who were elected by the parishioners for three-year terms, with one marguillier retiring and a new one elected each year. The position was unpaid, but could not be refused except by the seigneur, military officers, or militia officers when on a tour of duty. The eldest marguillier (the one in his third year) was called the head marguillier and was responsible for administering the parish treasury and for providing an accounting at the end of his term.

mari .......................................................................... husband

mariage ................................................................... marriage

marié ........................................................................ married or groom

mariée ...................................................................... married or bride

mariés ...................................................................... bride and groom, newlyweds

marraine .................................................................. godmother

maternel, elle ........................................................ maternal, as in maternal grandfather

mère .......................................................................... mother

métairie.................................................................... a small agricultural property that is leased to an individual who works the land, a métayer, who gives the owner a share of the crops, usually half, in return. Thus, a métayer is a sharecropper, as opposed to a tenant farmer, who pays a fixed sum regardless of the harvest. See also ferme. The term métairie later came to refer generally to a small agricultural property with buildings.

meuble ..................................................................... personalty, personal property (i.e., movable property)

milice ....................................................................... militia

mineur, e ................................................................. minor, one who has not reached his or her majority, see majeur; a mineur requires his or her parents' consent to marry

minot ........................................................................ a unit of capacity: 1.05 bushels. Note that currency was in short supply in New France and that payments for cens, debts, taxes, etc., were often stipulated in minots of wheat or other grains, which had an exchange value of three sous throughout most of the French régime.

mioche ..................................................................... youngster, kid (m. and f.)

mitif, ve ................................................................... a Méti, a person of mixed European-Native American parentage

mois .......................................................................... month, months

moitié ....................................................................... a half (of something)

mort né .................................................................... born dead, stillborn

mort, e ..................................................................... died, dead

mortaille ................................................................. ancient feudal right by which a seigneur inherits the estate of a serf who dies without natural heirs

moulin à vente, d'eau ........................................ windmill, watermill

mourir ...................................................................... to die

mouton ....................................................................

mouture ................................................................... unit of capacity: 1/10 of a minot

nais, naissant ......................................................... newborn, just born

naissance ................................................................ birth

né mort .................................................................... born dead, stillborn

né, e .......................................................................... born

neveu ........................................................................ nephew

neveu à la mode Bretagne ................................ son of first cousin, first cousin once removed (descending)

nièce ......................................................................... niece

nièce à la mode Bretagne ................................. daughter of first cousin, first cousin once removed (descending)

noblesse .................................................................. nobility

noce .......................................................................... celebration and festivities accompagnying a marriage (used in singular or plural)

noces ........................................................................ marriage, e.g., 2e noces = second marriage (used in plural only)

nom ........................................................................... name, specifically in French genealogy, a family name (see prénom, surnom)

nommé, e (le/la) ................................................... a person named (usually used when the family name is unknown)

nord .......................................................................... north

notable ..................................................................... notable, well-known

notaire ...................................................................... notary; under the French regime, one who was authorized to draw up contracts, deeds, bills of sale, marriage contracts, etc. Strictly speaking, notaires were not authorized to give legal advice or to act as lawyers.

nourrice ................................................................... wet nurse; nursemaid

nouveau-né, e ....................................................... newborn

nouveaux, les ........................................................ newlyweds

noyé, e ..................................................................... drowned

nul et sans effet .................................................... null and void

obligation ............................................................... an agreement to repay a loan and the terms of repayment

obligation alimentaire ....................................... alimony

omis, e ..................................................................... omitted, e.g., name of one or both parents

oncle ......................................................................... uncle

oncle à la mode Bretagne ................................. first cousin (m) of father or mother, second cousin once removed (ascending)

ondoyé, e ................................................................ a provisional baptism; a baptism performed under emergency conditions by someone other than a priest when a newborn infant is not expected to live or has just died (or is stillborn), If the child survives and is later baptized properly by a priest, the second baptism is called a conditional baptism (see sous condition).

origine ..................................................................... place of birth, parish of birth

orphelin, e .............................................................. orphan

ossements ............................................................... the remains (bones) of a person

ou .............................................................................. or

où................................................................................ where

oubli ......................................................................... omitted

ouest ......................................................................... west

papier terrier .......................................................... a list of documents relating to the ownership of a specific piece of land

paraphe .................................................................... complex flourishes added to a signature, or occasionally used in place of one, to deter forgery and counterfeiting

parâtre ...................................................................... stepfather

parent de ................................................................. is a relative of, is related to (NB: does not mean parent, i.e., father or mother of). Note also that the nature and degree of the relationship is undefined by this term.

parenté ..................................................................... kinship, relationship; kin, relations

parenté par alliance ............................................ relationship by marriage

paroisse ................................................................... parish

parrain ..................................................................... godfather

partage ..................................................................... division of a community property among its co-owners or its heirs

parternel, elle ........................................................ paternal, as in paternal grandfather

partition ................................................................... division, partitioning

pas venu au Canada ............................................ did not come to New France

passé en France .................................................... returned to France

patrimoine .............................................................. patrimony, inheritance; frequently used in a general sense to refer to a cultural heritage

pays en bas ............................................................ lower country-all French lands east of the current city of Montréal

pays en haut ........................................................... upper country-all French lands west of the current city of Montréal

pays natal ............................................................... country of birth, place of birth

pays, paye .............................................................. country, region, area

perche ...................................................................... unit of length in New France: 3 toises, 18 pieds or 19.26 English feet

père ........................................................................... father; following a person's name: the father, where father and son have the same name e.g., Simon Hénault père (= Sr.)

petit cousin, petite cousine .............................. generally second cousin, but may refer to any cousin other than first cousin

petite verole ........................................................... smallpox

petite-fille ............................................................... granddaughter

petit-enfant ............................................................ grandchild

petite-nièce ............................................................ daughter of a nephew or niece

petit-fils ................................................................... grandson

petit-neveu ............................................................. son of a nephew or niece

peu ............................................................................ little, shortly

peut-être .................................................................. possibly, may be

piastre ...................................................................... a Spanish coin that was accepted as currency in New France. Later, a unit of currency in the dual monetary system used in Canada in the 19th century. Today, slang for a Canadian dollar.

picotte, picote, la ................................................. smallpox

pied, s ...................................................................... unit of length in New France: 1.07 English feet

plutôt que faire ce pours ................................... as soon as possible

possédant, e ........................................................... propertied, property-owning

poste du Roi .......................................................... any of a number of fishing and trading posts established within the area of the Domaine du Roi (King's Domain), the best known of which were Tadoussac and Chicutimi. The posts were administered and worked by third parties under lease to the King.

P.R.D.H................................................................... Programme de Recherche en Demographie Historique (Program of Research on Historical Demography)

préciput ................................................................... the right of a surviving spouse to the gain, or profit, in movable property in existence on the day of death of the predeceasing spouse.

prénom .................................................................... the given name of an individual (see nom, surnom)

près de ..................................................................... near, next to

présente ................................................................... the present letter or document

prétention ............................................................... a claim or right to something, e.g., an inheritance

primitif, ve ............................................................. original, first (seigneur, etc.)

pris, e ....................................................................... taken, kidnapped

prise en guerre ...................................................... taken in battle

prisé, e ..................................................................... valued at, e.g., in an appraisal during an estate inventory

prisonnier, ère ....................................................... prisoner

privé, e ..................................................................... private, privately

procès verbal, aux ............................................... official report, record (by a magistrate); police report

procuration ............................................................ the authority to act on behalf of another person [essentially a power of attorney]

profondeur ............................................................. depth, as in a roture 8 arpents deep

promettant .............................................................. betrothed

propriété ................................................................. estate, property; property owner

quadrisaïul, e ......................................................... great great great grandfather, grandmother

quartier .................................................................... a ward represented by an alderman (échevin) (Can)

quintal ...................................................................... unit of weight: 100 pounds

quittance ................................................................. a receipt for payment, a discharge from a debt

racines ..................................................................... one's roots, one's origins

raison, s ................................................................... reason

rang, s ...................................................................... range, concession, i.e, a row of rotures, or long-lot farms, with the short ends along a river or road. In New France (and even today) refers to a range of land concessions and settlement away from the original line of settlement in the area, usually the St. Lawrence or another major river. Thus, the first settlers settled in long-lots along the banks of the river, forming the first rang. When all lots in the first rang were settled, settlement began in lots on the second rang, whose line was the line formed by the rears of the lots in the first rang, and so on. Since the depth of the lots was normally the same, this system formed a series of rangs, or lines, away from the original line.

ratification .............................................................. a statement made by a second party accepting a decision

rayé............................................................................ refers to a word or words that have been nullified by crossing them out in a record when the record is originally drawn up. Corrections may be entered between the lines or in the margins.

recensement ........................................................... census

recherche ................................................................ research

recherche généalogique .................................... genealogical research

reconnus et confesser ........................................ recognized and acknowledged

rediger ..................................................................... to put into writing, to record

réformé .................................................................... discharged, declared unfit for military service; when used with an officer rank, refers to a reserve officer receiving half-pay while waiting (hoping) for an active service assignment, e.g., lieutenant réformé

régime ...................................................................... regime, system

régime Francaise ................................................. the system of French government of New France

régime matrimoniale .......................................... the property system governing a marriage; see communauté des biens, séparation des biens

régiment .................................................................. regiment (military)

registre ..................................................................... register, records

registre de l'état civil .......................................... civil register of births, marriages, and deaths

registre paroissial ................................................ parish register

rehabilitation (de mariage) .............................. rehabilitation of a marriage that has been rendered null and void, usually by the discovery of a previously unknown impediment that would have required a dispensation. In this case, the proper dispensation is obtained and the marriage is performed again.

relevailles (fpl) ..................................................... churching, a blessing given by a priest to a mother who has recently given birth. In the Roman Catholic Church, this blessing was customary, not mandatory, and was given only at the mother's request. In contrast with some other churches, there was no minimum time before the blessing could be performed and it could be requested any time after the mother is able to leave the house. Although the custom clearly originated in Jewish laws regarding ritual purification, the Catholic Church's position has always been that childbirth does not confer any ritual impurity, so that the original purification aspects of the ceremony have been largely abandoned.

relevée, la ............................................................... afternoon, p.m.

remarié, e ................................................................ remarried

remarier ................................................................... to remarry

renseignement, s .................................................. piece of information, information

rentes ........................................................................ see cens et rentes

répertoire ................................................................ index, list, register

reprise ...................................................................... recovery, repossession of personal property

retrait lignagner ................................................... the right of a descendant of the seller of land sold to someone other than a descendant of the seller to purchase that land from the buyer for the price at which it was sold within a specified period of time

retrait roturier ....................................................... the right of a seigneur to purchase land sold to someone other than a descendant of the seller from the buyer for the price at which it was sold within a specified period of time

roture ........................................................................ a long-lot farm; a type of land assignment in which rectangular lots have a comparatively narrow frontage on a river or road and extend back many times their width. A roture was held by a censitaire from a seigneur and could not be further divided or reconceded.

sage-femme ........................................................... midwife (also femme-sage)

saisine ...................................................................... the right of a seigneur to repossess land or seize the personal effects of someone who has failed to meet the conditions of a concession

sans doute ............................................................... undoubtedly, probably

sans postérité ........................................................ without issue, without children

sauvage, esse ......................................................... Native American man, woman

savoir, scavoir ...................................................... to wit; used to introduce the main body or terms of a contract or declaration

scorbut ..................................................................... scurvy, a disease which is a result of vitamin C deficiency and which was once common on long ocean voyages.

seigneur ................................................................... lord (of a fief); generally, one who received a concession of land en fief directly from the viceroys, Company of 100 Associates, West India Company, or the royal government. (N.B.: A seigneur in New France was not by definition a member of the nobility.)

seigneurie ............................................................... domain or fief; large tract of land held in fief by a seigneur on the condition that he subgrant portions to other individuals to clear and work the land

semaine, s ............................................................... week

séparation (des corps) ........................................ legal separation (agreement) between husband and wife in lieu of a divorce, which was not possible in France and New France, or an annulment of the marriage. A contrat de séparation (des corps) was required to establish a legal separation and such a contract generally provided for séparation des biens as well.

séparation des biens ........................................... a system governing marriages in which all property is personal property belonging to the one who acquires it, whether husband or wife; separate property system; a separate property regime. A contrat de mariage was required to establish separate property as the system governing a marriage because the Coutume de Paris established communal property as the standard marital property system. (See also communauté des biens.)

sépulture ................................................................. burial

sieur .......................................................................... title frequently given to a gentleman (business or professional) (NB: the use of this title does not in any way indicate membership in the nobility)

soeur ......................................................................... sister, nun

soeur consanquine .............................................. half-sister (of the same father)

soeur par alliance ................................................ stepsister, sister by marriage

soeur utérine .......................................................... half-sister (of the same mother)

sol, sou .................................................................... basic unit of currency in New France: worth 12 denier or one 20th of a livre

sommations respectueuse ................................. a formal statement drawn up by a notary and legally required of men older than twenty-five or women older than thirty who wish to marry against their parents' wishes and to not be disinherited, as was the parents' right in the case of clandestine marriages or marriages against their will; the practice died out in the early 1800's and was formally revoked in 1920.

soubitement ........................................................... suddenly and unexpectedly; especially sudden death in an apparently healthy person as by heart attack or stroke; sudden death was regarded as as a great tragedy because it did not give the deceased sufficient time to prepare for death by receiving the sacraments, etc., so much so that it is often mentioned in parish registers.

souche ...................................................................... origin, stock, descent, family lineage

sous condition (baptême) ................................. conditional baptism, that is, a baptism performed by a priest when there is some question as to whether a prior baptism was valid, as, for example, when a child is provisionally baptized (ondoyé) immediately after birth and is later baptized formally by a priest

sous la foi de ......................................................... under oath

sous seing ............................................................... signed

sous seing privé ................................................... said of an act drawn up and signed privately by the parties without the aid or assistance of a notary. The act may be written by one of the parties or by a third party, frequently a parish priest. Many such acts begin with a statement to the effect that there is no notary available in the area. (The act may later be filed with a notary, see déposé)

soussigné, e ........................................................... the undersigned

sous-sol ................................................................... vault, crypt, burial chamber (in a church)

sud ............................................................................. south

suivant, e ................................................................ following

supplice ................................................................... torture or execution under law

sur ses biens .......................................................... using one's property or estate as collateral

surlendemain, le .................................................. two days after, two days later

surnom .................................................................... in Québec, this is a general term for various types of suffixes to an ancestral family name, such as a dit name, property name, etc. (see nom, prénom).

surveille, la ............................................................ see avant vieille

syndic ...................................................................... one who is elected to look after the affairs of a community or corporate body of which he or she is a member; functionally similar to a mayor of a city.

tante .......................................................................... aunt

tante à la mode Bretagne .................................. first cousin (f) of father or mother, second cousin once removed (ascending)

taupin ....................................................................... cattle (Can)

témoin ...................................................................... witness

temple (Calvinist) ............................................... a church belonging to faith other than Roman Catholicism, especially a Calvinist, or Huguenot, church

tenir feu et lieu ..................................................... to take possession of a property, to live on the property (house and home) that one holds en seigneurie or en roture.

tenure ....................................................................... the holding of something (land, office, or occupation)

tenus et mouvante ............................................... bound to and dependent upon

testament ................................................................ last will and testament

testament olographe ........................................... a will hand-written by the testator

testament oral ....................................................... an oral will

testateur, trice ....................................................... testator, the one who makes the will

toisage ..................................................................... measurement (Can)

toise .......................................................................... unit of length in New France: 6 pieds or 6.42 English feet

toise (carrée) ......................................................... unit of area: 40 square feet (old), 100 square feet (current) (Can)

trait ........................................................................... a line

trait carré ................................................................ property line (Can); a square piece of land

traite ......................................................................... draft, bill; bill of exchange; installment, payment

traité ......................................................................... treaty

traite de mariage .................................................. marriage contract

trécarré .................................................................... property line (Can), see trait carré

trijumeau, x ........................................................... a triplet (male)

trijumelle, s ............................................................ a triplet (female)

triplé, ée .................................................................. a triplet

trisaïul, e ................................................................. great great grandfather or grandmother

tué, e ......................................................................... killed

tuer ............................................................................ to kill

tutélaire ................................................................... guardian, tutelary

tuteur, trice ............................................................ legal guardian; a tuteur is responsible for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of his or her wards, which would include, but is not limited to their education, hence the term. This is in contrast with a curateur/curatrice, who is responsible for their finances and their estate only. The two functions may be combined, in which case just the term tuteur is often used (although it is not uncommon to see someone described as "tuteur et curateur"). When a man died, a tuteur was often designated, frequently by family council, for his minor children (the age of majority was 25 years old until the 1780's). If the wife still lived, she might be named tutrice, or more likely in the earlier years of the French regime, a close male relative or friend of the family would be designated tuteur.

uns et communs (en biens)............................... singly and jointly; indicates that the future spouses will form a community property marriage. (See also communauté des biens.)

valeur, en ................................................................ under cultivation (as in arpents en valeur, or arpents under cultivation)

veille, la .................................................................. yesterday evening, yesterday; la veille de, the day before

vendu, e ................................................................... sold

vente ......................................................................... sale

vente à réméré ...................................................... sale with the right of redemption

verge, vergue ........................................................ unit of length: 1 yard (Can)

vers ........................................................................... circa, about, near

veuf, veuve ............................................................ widower, widow

vicaire ...................................................................... a priest acting as assistant to a curé, or pastor; curate, sometimes parochial vicar (US)

vicaire général ...................................................... a priest who is the highest ranking executive officer under a bishop; Vicar General; given the physical absence of the bishops of Québec during most of the French regime, the vicaire général was the de facto highest ecclesiastic official in New France.

videmer ................................................................... to certify a document as a true copy of the original

vieille fille .............................................................. spinster (of any age)

vieux garçon .......................................................... bachelor (of any age)

vieux, vieille ......................................................... old

ville ........................................................................... town, city

vivant, e .................................................................. living, still alive

vivant, en/de son ................................................. during his/her lifetime, while still living (of a deceased individual); for the remainder of his/her natural life (of a living individual

 

(c)1996, 2002, 2005 Stephen Charles Eno

 

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