COMMONLY USED WORDS, PHRASES AND SYMBOLS
IN FRENCH-CANADIAN GENEALOGICAL SOURCES
(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 rŽgime, 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., archevchŽ ............................................ archdiocese
b., baptme ............................................................ baptism
co., comtŽ ............................................................... county
ct., contrat .............................................................. contract
d., dŽcs .................................................................. death
d., dis., disp., dispense ...................................... dispensation
ev., ŽvchŽ ............................................................. diocese
f., feu, e ................................................................... the late, deceased (before the date in question)
id., au mme 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. ..................................................................... MunicipalitŽs RŽgionales de ComtŽ
n., naissance .......................................................... birth
N..., nom inconnu, e ........................................... indicates that the given name or surname of an individual is unknown
ond., ondoyŽ, e ..................................................... provisional or emergency baptism, see below
P., PP. ...................................................................... Pre, Pres: Father (term of address used with Roman Catholic clergy)
rec. 66, 67, 81, 14 ............................................... census of 1666, 1667, 1681, 1714
rem., remariŽ, e .................................................... remarried
s., semaines ........................................................... weeks (old)
s., sŽpulture ........................................................... burial, interment
s, signŽ, 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
accordŽ .................................................................... granted to, accorded to
accouchement ....................................................... childbirth
accusŽ, Že ............................................................... 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, acqut ..................................................... real property acquired through inheritance or gift from ancestors; acquts 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 dŽcs ......................................................... 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
adouŽe ..................................................................... endowed, given as dowry
advenant, advenire .............................................. to come about, to happen
advice et dŽlibrŽ .................................................. considered and resolved
affermer .................................................................. to rent a property or a right
‰ge 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
‰gŽ, agŽe 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
agrŽable, 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 P‰ques), or by the king (aides royales)
a•eul, a•eule ........................................................... grandfather, grandmother
a•eux ......................................................................... ancestors, forefathers (used only in the plural)
a”nŽ, a”nŽe .............................................................. eldest or older child; often used when there are two children with the same name: the elder is called l'a”nŽ, the younger is called le cadet or le jeune
‰me ........................................................................... soul, often used in enumerating people, e.g., six souls (people) were killed in the Iroquois attack.
Amerindien, nne .................................................. Native American man, woman
AmirautŽ, l' ............................................................ Admiralty Court
amont (de) .............................................................. up-river (from), uphill (from) (see aval de)
an ............................................................................... year, years, especially years of age, i.e., years old
anctres ................................................................... ancestors
ancien, nne ............................................................. old, ancient; former, ex- (when in front of someone's occupation)
Anglais, Anglaise ................................................ English; Englishman, Englishwoman
Angleterre .............................................................. England
annŽe ........................................................................ year
annŽe, ‡ l' ................................................................ annually
annulŽ ...................................................................... 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
apparentŽ, e ........................................................... allied by marriage
apport ....................................................................... personal property obtained by a husband or wife before their marriage and brought to the marriage (see also hritages)
aprs ......................................................................... after
aprs-midi .............................................................. afternoon, p.m.
archevchŽ ............................................................. 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
arrt .......................................................................... 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.
arrirŽ ...................................................................... overdue, in arrears
arrire ...................................................................... rear, back; sub; corresponds to the prefix great when used with kinship terms, see below
arrire arrire grand-mre ................................ great great grandmother
arrire arrire grand-pre ................................. great great grandfather
arrire arrire petite-fille .................................. great great granddaughter
arrire arrire petit-enfant ................................ great great grandchild
arrire arrire petit-fils ...................................... great great grandson
arrire 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
arrire grand-mre .............................................. great grandmother
arrire grand-pre ................................................ great grandfather
arrire petite-fille ................................................ great granddaughter
arrire petit-enfant .............................................. great grandchild
arrire petit-fils .................................................... great grandson
arrivŽ ........................................................................ 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 ‡ ................................................................. to witness, to be a witness to something
assister de ............................................................... to be assisted by (someone)
aucun empchement ........................................... no impediment, especially to marriage between related persons whose relationship is sufficiently distant; see dispense
augmentŽ, 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 a•eul, e)
ayeux ........................................................................ ancestors, forefathers (variant spelling of a•eux; used only in the plural)
bail, baux ................................................................ lease, leases; see bail ˆ ferme
bail ˆ 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 ˆ loyer ............................................................. a rental agrement on a house or apartment
banalitŽ .................................................................... 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.
baptme ................................................................... baptism
baptisŽ, e ................................................................. baptized
baptistre ................................................................ 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) QuŽbec ..................................... lower village of Quebec (city)
bateau, x................................................................... boat, ship
b‰timent .................................................................. 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-frre ............................................................... brother-in-law
beau-pre ................................................................ father-in-law; stepfather
bŽlier ........................................................................ 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-mre .............................................................. 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
btes ‡ 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)
bisa•ul, e ................................................................. great grandfather, great grandmother
blason ...................................................................... coat of arms, blazon; heraldry
blessŽ, 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 grŽ .................................................................... 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
brŽbis ....................................................................... ewe, a female sheep
bru ............................................................................. the wife of one's son, daughter-in-law
brulŽ, 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 a”nŽ, 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.
carme, la ............................................................... Lent
Carignan-Salires RŽgiment ........................... 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
carrŽ, e ..................................................................... square, squared (in quantities)
carte .......................................................................... map
cathŽdrale ............................................................... 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 cathŽdrale and may change the church at will. The term cathŽdrale 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)
cŽlibitaire ................................................................ 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
cimetire ................................................................. cemetery
citŽ, 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. JettŽ 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
communautŽ .......................................................... community
communautŽ 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 sŽparation des biens.)
CommunautŽ 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-AssociŽs
Compagnie des Cents-AssociŽs .................... 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 DŽpartment 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.
comtŽ ....................................................................... 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, banalitŽs
confirmŽ, e ............................................................. confirmed
congŽ ........................................................................ a license to trade (especially one to trade in furs). A limited number of congŽs were issued annually to individuals or groups of individuals in return for a given fee.
conjoint, e .............................................................. husband, wife
conqut .................................................................... 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 rŽgime, 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.
contrŽe ..................................................................... district, region
cordon ...................................................................... back end of a farm (Can)
corvŽe ...................................................................... work owed by a censitaire to his seigneur; usually a few days a year, working on common roads, grounds, etc.
c™te ........................................................................... 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 remuŽs 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
crŽancier ................................................................. 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
curŽ ........................................................................... 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 grŽ ˆ grŽ ............................................................ by mutual agreement
de, du [de le], des [de les] ................................ from; of; some
dŽcŽdŽ, e ................................................................. deceased
dŽcs ........................................................................ death
dŽclaration ............................................................. statement acknowledging a past act
dŽfunt, e .................................................................. late, deceased
dŽlaissement .......................................................... 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 ˆ ............................................................. to live or reside at
demi-frre .............................................................. half-brother
demi-soeur ............................................................. half-sister
denier ....................................................................... smallest unit of French regime currency; 12 deniers = 1 sou or sol
dŽpartement ........................................................... department, one of the administrative divisions of France
dŽposŽ ...................................................................... deposited with, filed with (a notary)
dŽp™t ........................................................................ 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-nŽ, dernire-nŽe ................................... last-born child, youngest child
ds ............................................................................. 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.
diocse ..................................................................... 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
domiciliŽ, e ˆ ........................................................ 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
donnŽe, 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
douŽ, 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
Žchange ................................................................... an agreement to exchange land
Žchoir ....................................................................... to fall due (e.g., a loan repayment)
ŽcrasŽ (par la chžte d'un arbre) ..................... crushed (by a falling tree)
Žcu ............................................................................. a shield, especially one bearing a coat of arms
Žcu ............................................................................. a silver coin under the French regime, varying in value between three and six livres
Žglise ........................................................................ church
empchement ........................................................ 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 prŽsence 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
engagŽ ..................................................................... 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.
engagŽ 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
enlevŽ, e .................................................................. kidnapped; especially kidnapped by Indians in a raid
enlever ..................................................................... to kidnap
enqute .................................................................... investigation, inquiry
ensevelir ................................................................. to entomb, bury (a person)
ensuite ..................................................................... later, afterwards
enterrŽ, e ................................................................. interred, buried
enterrer .................................................................... to inter, bury (someone)
entre .......................................................................... between
Žpousailles ............................................................. nuptials
Žpouse ...................................................................... wife, spouse
ŽpousŽe ................................................................... bride
Žpouser .................................................................... to marry
Žpoux ....................................................................... husband, spouse
est .............................................................................. east
et ................................................................................ and
Žtabli ........................................................................ established; with ˆ, took up residence at, settled at
Žtat ............................................................................ state
Žtat-major ............................................................... general staff, headquarters (of a regiment)
ƒtats-Unis .............................................................. United States (of America)
ŽvchŽ ...................................................................... diocese
Žvque ..................................................................... bishop
exŽcution de contrat ........................................... fulfillment of a contract, pursuant to a contract
exŽcution 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 rŽgime, 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.)
fte ............................................................................ 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.
fianailles, fianuailles ..................................... engagement, betrothal
fief ............................................................................. fief, seigneurie
fieffŽ, e .................................................................... enfoeffed, to be granted a fief
fille ........................................................................... daughter, girl
fille a”nŽe ................................................................ 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 HŽnault pre et Pierre HŽnault fils = Pierre HŽnault Sr. and Pierre HŽnault Jr.)
fils a”nŽ .................................................................... eldest son
flžte, 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
frre .......................................................................... brother
frre consanquin .................................................. half-brother (of the same father)
frre par alliance .................................................. stepbrother
frre utŽrin ............................................................. half-brother (of the same mother)
fronteau, frontaille .............................................. the front end of a farm (Can)
gamin, e .................................................................. youngster, kid
garon ...................................................................... boy, a bachelor (of any age, the phrase 'vieux garon', or 'old bachelor', appears in records)
gendre ...................................................................... son-in-law
genre ........................................................................ type, sort; gender, sex
goŽllette .................................................................. a schooner (ship)
gouvernment ......................................................... government, specifically, the five regional administrative districts of New France: QuŽbec, Trois-Rivires, MontrŽal, 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 DŽrangement, 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 QuŽbec, a grand vicaire was appointed as the highest ecclesiatic official in each of the three governments of QuŽbec, Trois-Rivires, and MontrŽal.
grand-mre ............................................................ grandmother
grand-oncle ............................................................ great uncle
grand-pre .............................................................. grandfather
grand-tante ............................................................. great aunt
grŽ ............................................................................. 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) QuŽbec ..................................... upper village of Quebec (city)
hŽriter ...................................................................... to inherit
hŽritier, re ............................................................ 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
h™pital ...................................................................... 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 h™pital 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
h™pital gŽnŽral ...................................................... see h™pital
h™tel .......................................................................... 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 h™tel de ville is a city hall