Genealogical Glossary
List of Words Used in Genealogical Records
Click on each letter to see the list of genealogical terms. Click on the underlined terms to read the Spanish definition of the word taken from the online version of the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española 22a. edición.
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ONLINE DICTIONARIES
Because language is constantly changing and many words used in old records could have a different meaning from the common meaning used today, dictionaries from earlier years or centuries are a great resource for the researchers. The Real Academia Española dictionaries are a useful resource, be sure to click on the "word search" icon (
) to get started.
Letter A
abad : abbot, rector of a parish (in some provinces)
abadengo : abbey
abadía : abbey
abogado : lawyer
abuelastro : step-grandparent
abril : April
absceso : abscess
abuela : grandmother
abuelo : grandfather; ancestor; forefather; old person
abuelos : grandparents
aceptación : acceptance; approval; approbation
acre : acre
acta : document; record; official act
acuerdo : agreement
adelantado : colonial title used for the following: governor of a frontier province, supreme justice of the kingdom, captain general in times of war; a discoverer, founder; pacifier of Indian lands
administración : administration
adoptado(a) : adopted
adulterio : adultery, violation of the marriage vows
adúltero(a) : adulterer
adviento : Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas
adyacente : adjoining
afinidad : relation by marriage
agosto : August
agregación : addition; attachment; appointment; assignment
agricultor : farmer
ajuste : settlement; arrangement ; hiring
ahí/allí : there
ahogamiento : drowning
alabardero : Spanish Royal Guard
albacea : executor of a will
albañil : stonemason
albino : mixture of Spanish and Morisco blood
alcalde : mayor; magistrate; official to whom the mayor delegates his power in a certain section of a city
alcalde constitucional : local magistrate during nineteenth century
alcalde mayor : justice of the peace; the administrative and judicial magistrate of a province or district (in some cases the Corregidor exercised this function); local magistrate
alcalde ordinario : mayor, the highest municipal office of a town council or municipal district
alcalde pedáneo : junior judge
aldea : village, hamlet
alemán(a) : German
alfarero(a) : potter
alférez : ensign; army officer lower than lieutenant, sub-lieutenant; in Bolivia and Peru a municipal office in the Indian villages
algodón : cotton
alguacil : constable, bailiff, officer who carries out the orders of the alcalde; minister of justice who executes the orders of the justices and tribunals
algún(o, a) : some, someone
alma : soul; inhabitant; person
almoneda : public auction; clearance sale
alquería : hamlet
alquiler : rent, renta
alteza : an honorary title given to the kings, princes, and officials of the high court ( audiencia ) and to some of the royal councils, highness
altitud : altitude
alto(a) : high, tall
altura : height
allá : there
allí/ahí : there
amanuense : scribe, clerk
amarillo : yellow
ambos(as) : both
amigo(a) : friend
amo(a) : master, owner
amonestación matrimonial : proclamation published during three successive Sundays before marriages, marriage banns
amparo : the act of protection of the Indian by the Spaniard, specifically teaching him the trade, bringing him up; duty of the encomendero or patrón
anciano(a) : elderly
anejo(a) : annex; a church dependent upon another one; rural district joined to a borough
ánima : soul; those spirits consigned to purgatory; in the plural form, ánimas sometimes refers to the death mass or the tolling of the bells to summon to pray for the recently deceased person
aniversario : anniversary
ante : before, in front of, in the presence of; in view of, with regard to
ante todo : above all, first of all
anteiglesia : atrium or portico (of a church); parish church; parish or district
antepasado(a) : ancestor
anterior : former, previous
antes : before
antiguo(a) : old, ancient
anual : annual
anuario : yearbook
año : year
año bisiesto : leap year, the years in which the last two numerals of the year are divisible by four
año secular : the centenary years: 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2000 (the years 1600 and 2000 are also leap years)
aparecer : to appear
apartamiento : judicial act or declaration by which one removes himself from a legal action or right
apeamiento : surveying; shoring up of a building
apellido : surname, family name, last name
apéndice : appendix
apodo : nickname
apostólico(a) : apostolic
aprendiz : apprentice
aprobación : document establishing the proof of certainty of a fact, such as a proof of the nobility of a person’s family
aproximado(a) : approximate
aquel(la) : that
aquí : here
arancel : official tariff or custom
árbol : tree
árbol genealógico : genealogical tree, pedigree chart
archivo : archives, place where records are kept; (office) files, file
arciprestazgo : land under jurisdiction of an archpriest composed of several parishes
arcipreste : archpriest, a parish priest who also presides over several other parish priests
arrendamiento : rent, letting, lease
arroba : weight measure equivalent to 25 lbs. of 16 oz. each; liquid measurement equivalent to about 3 gallons; the fourth part of a quintal
artículo : article
arzobispado : archbishopric, ecclesiastical territory under the jurisdiction of an archbishop
arzobispo : archbishop, the bishop of a metropolitan church to which other bishops are subordinate
ascendencia : ascendency, a series of ancestors
ascendiente : ancestor
asiento : seat on a tribunal or council; contract or obligation made to provide money or goods for the army
asilo : asylum, shelter
asma : asthma
audiencia : regional high court; civil tribunal that dealt with the civil and criminal actions of the last resort (In the absence of a colonial viceroy this high court became the executive branch that represented the king.) A division of colonial government or viceroyalty.
aún : still
ausente : absent; absentee, missing person
ausente sin licencia : military, absent without leave
auto : judicial sentence; warrant; edict; various legal documents both judicial and administrative, not including wills or inventories
auto de fe : a public procedure in which those accused by the Inquisition were sentenced
ayer : yesterday
ayuntamiento : municipal government; town council; city hall
azúcar : sugar
azul : blue
Letter B
bachiller : graduate of the equivalent of junior college in the United States; holder of a bachelor’s degree, baccalaureate; applied to priests who have graduated from the seminary
bajo(a) : low, short
balazo : gunshot, bullet wound
banco : bank; bench
banco de caballeros : seat in city council held by nobility
banco de comuneros : seat in city council held by commoners
barco : ship
barrio : city ward
bautismo : baptism
bautizar : to baptize, to christen
bebé : baby
behetría : free town under its own chosen prince or seigneur
bendición : blessing
beneficencia : beneficence, charity; welfare organization or institution, charity organization, public welfare office
beneficio : benefit, profit; development, cultivation (of land); ecclesiastical benefice; a position that is purchased; (law) right by law or privilege
beneficio de deliberar : (law) opportunity of deliberation in which the heir can postpone acceptance of inheritance until inventory has been made
beneficio de inventario : (law) benefit of inventory, right granted to heir to accept inheritance without being obligated to pay debts amounting to more than the inheritance
beneficio simple : ecclesiastical sinecure
biblioteca : library
bien : well, good
bienes : properties, goods, fee
bienes raíces : real property
bisabuelo(a)(s) : great-grandparent(s)
bisnieto(a)(s) : great-grandchild(ren)
blanco(a) : white
boca : mouth
boda : marriage, wedding
bodigo : bread taken to the church as an offering. Used in phrases such as pan bodigo de aquartal (a cuartal) o pan bodigo de a medio
bozal : caste name given to Negros in Panama
braza : length measure, length formed by having both arms of a person open and extended—which commonly is taken to be 6 feet of width
brazo : arm
bueno(a) : good
bula : Papal bull or proclamation.
búsqueda : research
Letter C
caballería : military cavalry; knightly order, knights, eg. la caballería de Santiago (the Knights of Santiago), knighthood, rank and privileges of a knight; knight’s fee, a grant of land made on the condition of maintaining one mounted man-at-arms; land measure (in Spain about 95 acres, in Cuba 33, in Puerto Rico 194, in Mexico 106)
caballero : nobleman; knight; member of a military order; gentleman
cabeza : head
cabildo : municipal or town council; chapter of a cathedral or collegiate church
cabildo abierto : meetings of the town council and the citizens of the town
cabo : corporal (mil.)
cacicazgo : the territory governed by and/or the authority of a cacique
cacique(ca) : the chief or ruler of some Indian tribes; local ruler
calle : street
callejo(n) : alley, small street
cambio : change, alteration; interchange, exchange; (law) exchange of posts by holders of government jobs or ecclesiastical benefices
cambujo(a) : mixture of one part of Indian blood, one part of Negro blood and one part of Chinese blood
cambur(a) : mixture of one part of Spanish blood, two parts of Indian blood and one part of Negro blood; taken from the parish registers of Mexico
camino : road
campesino(a) : peasant
campo : field
cáncer : cancer
canonicato : canonry (canons collectively), canonship
canónico : Prescribed by, in conformity with, or having reference to ecclesiastical edict or canon law.
caña de azúcar : sugarcane
capellán : a priest who has a chaplaincy, or says mass in a private chapel and who is paid by a trust fund or private individual to administer the affairs of said fund or individual. Military priest at a presidio
capellanía : benefice or foundation subject to certain obligations; lay foundation without ecclesiastical intervention
capilla : chapel
capital : assets; principal of a trust fund
capitán general : supreme commander of a military region
capitanía general : captaincy general; territorial demarcation governed by a Capitán General during the colonial era; major military administrative unit in Spain
capitulación matrimonial : marriage contract
capítulo matrimonial : marriage articles, marriage contract, civil marriage
cara : face
cárcel : jail
carga : weight measurement, a certain portion of grain, which in Castile is 4 fanegas = 138,074 kg.
carga de tabaco o algodón : weight measure equivalent to 92 kg
carnicero : butcher
carpintero : carpenter
carretera : road
carta de pago : receipt (for payment)
carta de examen : diploma; license (practice a trade or profession)
casa : house
casa solar : ancestral home, manor house
casado(a) : married
casamiento : marriage, wedding
casar, casarse : to marry
casería : rural house with dependencies and lands, commonly used in the Basque countries. See also caserío.
caserío : hamlet, see also casería.
casta : caste; racial lineage; each one of the closed classes in which a society is divided (see the various “blood mixture” definitions and the racial terminology section in this glossary)—in many cases the caste distinctions are social rather than literal
castellano : native of Castile; Castilian Spanish; Spanish
castillo : castle
castizo : of a good caste; in Puerto Rico, a mixture of meztizo and Spanish blood; in Guatemala, a blood mixture of Spanish (15 parts) and Criollo
catalán : native of Catalonia; Romance language spoken in Catalonia and other Spanish regions of Spain that were part of the old Crown of Aragon.
catastro : census; census of the lands and resources
Catastro de Ensenada : census ordered in 1749 by the Marqués de la Ensenada for Charles III for the entire area ruled by Castile
cátedra : the chair or seat of a bishop in his church; hence, the episcopal see or dignity
catedral : cathedral, Episcopal church of a diocese or archdiocese
católico(a) : Catholic
catorce : fourteen
caudillo : military leader, captain, cacique
cazador : hunter
c.c.=casado con : married to
cédula real : royal decree
celemín : dry measure equivalent to four cuartillos—4.625 liters
cementerio : cemetery; a place in the countryside where Christian Indians, slaves, and other poor persons are buried; a churchyard burial ground, behind, beside, or sometimes in front of the church; places within churches—in the floor, the walls, and special crypts, etc.; civil burial grounds which date from the beginning of civil registration within each country
censo : census of population, etc.; official register of citizens having the right to vote; head-tax, tribute, tax; annual stipend paid formerly by some churches to their prelates; (law) living pledge, contract, whereby an estate is pledged to payment of an annuity as interest on a loan without transfer of title.
centenario : centennial
cerca : near, approximate
cerrajero : locksmith
certificado : certificate
certificación : certification, attestation
cervecero(a) : brewer
chancillería : supreme Spanish tribunals of justice prior to the nineteenth century; courts of original jurisdiction for proof of nobility
chino(a) : in Peru, blood mixture: offspring of a mulatto and an Indian
chiticalla : person, thing or event kept anonymous
cholo(a) : in Peru, blood mixture: offspring of a mestizo and an Indian
ciego(a) : blind
ciento : one hundred
cimarrón(a) : in Mexico and Guatemala, mixture of one part of Spanish blood, one part of Indian blood, and two parts of Negro blood; in Panama, a rebellious slave
cinco : five
cincuenta : fifty
ciudad : city
ciudadano(a) : citizen
clase : class, type, kind; (military) non-commissioned officers
clérigo : clergyman; those who have been received into a sacred order (in military orders this is distinguished from caballero )
codicilio / codicilo / cobdicilio / cobdecilio : codicil, amendment to a will.
c.m.c.=contrajo matrimonio con : contracted marriage with
cofradía : congregation or brotherhood of religious individuals; confraternity; guild; trade union
cofrade / confrade : member of a cofradía
cojo(a) : lame
colector : collector of taxes, or of collection for the church
colecturía : death records listing collections of payments for funeral and masses
colegiata : collegiate church
colegio notarial : notarial college
colina : hill
colinda con : coterminous with
colonia : colony
colonial : time period beginning at the conquest and ending with the wars of independence, or approximately 1492-1825 (1899 for Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines); of or relating to that time period; relating to a colony
colorado(a) : red
comadre : midwife; godmother
comandancia general : military administrative unit, commandery
comerciante : merchant
comercio : business, commerce; business district or area.
comerciante : merchant
como : as, how
compañía : a legal association or society of several persons united for a single purpose, commercial, social, or ecclesiastical; military unit
comparecer : to appear officially
compraventa : contract of purchase and sale
compromiso : pledge, commitment, promise; engagement (to be married); (law) compromise, arbitration, agreement
comunidad : community, particularly a religious group; village, commune, community
comunión : communion, partaking of the Eucharist
con : with
concejal : councilman
concejo / concejil : council
concerniente : concerning
concierto : agreement, contract; arrangement, settlement
concilio : council
Concilio Tridentino : Council of Trent
concuñado(a) : spouse of one’s own spouse's brother or sister
condado : earldom, courtship (dignity, jurisdiction or possessions of an earl or count); county
conde : count, earl; overseer
confirmación : confirmation, affirmation, corroboration; the religious sacrament of confirmation administered by the bishop
congregación : congregation; assembly; Religious Brotherhood; committee of cardinals, or of a religious order
conocido(a) : known; acquaintance
conocido(a) como : known as
conquistadores : Spanish conquerors of the New World in the 16th century
consanguinidad : consanguinity, kinship, blood relationship, measures in degrees in canon law by counting from each person to the common ancestor
consejo : council
Consejo de Castilla or Real : of Castile, Royal Council, supreme administrative body in Spain
Consejo de Indias : royal council that governed the colonies
consentimiento : consent, compliance, acquiescence
consignación : consignment; deposit (of money)
consorte : spouse; partner associate
constar : to be recorded or registered
constipación : constipation
constipado : constipated; having a cold
consumimiento / consunción : consumption
contenido : contents
contra : against
contratación : marking; trade; Casa de Contratación, Spanish government entity located in Seville and overseeing all comercial activity and the colonies, 1503-1790
contrato : contract, agreement enforceable by law
contrato de aprendizaje : contract of apprenticeship
contrayente : contracting party, such as in a marriage
contribución : tax
convenio : agreement, covenant, pact
convento : convent
conversión : conversion
convulsión : convulsion
cónyuge : spouse, consort; (pl.) married couple
copia literal : literal or word-for-word copy
cordelero(a) : rope maker
cordillera : mountain range
coronel : (mil.) colonel
corregidor : Spanish magistrate, mayor appointed by the King; royal governor of the district
corregimiento : occupation of the Corregidor , the territory in which he exercises his jurisdiction
corriente : current, present (week, month, year)
cortesana : court hand; paleographic term referring to the writing used in the courts during a period between 1500 and 1650 A.D.
cortesano : courtier, royal attendant
cosa : thing, something; affair, business
cosecha : harvest
coto : group of estates with one owner
coto redondo : group of estates with one owner
coyote : mixture of four parts of Spanish blood, three parts of Indian blood, and one part of Negro blood, taken from the parish registers of Mexico
criada : maid
criatura : infant, child
criollo(a) : Creole; Latin-American colonial born of European parents
crisma : Chrism, consecrated oil
cristiano(a) : Christian
cronista : chronicler, historian
cuadra : stable; city block
cuál : which
cuándo : when
cuarenta : forty
cuaresma : Lent, the forty days before Easter beginning on Ash Wednesday; collection of Lent sermons
cuarteado : mixture of two parts of Spanish blood, one part of Indian blood and one part of Negro blood; the offspring of a mestizo and a mulatto
cuarterón : mixture of three parts of Spanish blood, one part of mulatto blood; at times called morisco
cuarterón de chino : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and chino blood
cuarterón de mestizo : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and mestizo blood
cuarterón de mulato : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and mulatto blood
cuartillo : dry measure equivalent to ¼ celemín, or 1.156 liters
cuarto : room
cuarto : fourth
cuate : in México, the word used for twins; usually the Spanish is mellizos
cuatrero : mixture of one part of Spanish blood and three parts of Indian blood; the offspring of a mestizo and an Indian
cuatrillizos : quadruplets
cuatro : four
cuatrocientos : four hundred
cuenta : account, bill, report
cuerpo : body, volume, book, body of laws, of writings, of people; corps (diplomatic and military)
cumpleaños : birthday
cuñada : sister-in-law
cuñado : brother-in-law, spouse of any female relative, such as a nephew-in-law
cura : parish priest, vicar
curato : parish
curia : administrative and judicial organization under the bishop
cursiva : paleographic term: cursive, flowing handwriting, italic
curtidor : tanner
cuyo(a) : whose
Letter D
dado : as long as, provided that, given that
data : date
de : of, from, belonging to
de los mismos : of the same, usually refers to previous wording, such as month and year
de primera instancia : (court) of original jurisdiction
de repente : suddenly
debilidad : weakness, disability
década : decade
decanato : deanship, deanery (post and residence of university dean)
décimo(a) : tenth
decimoctavo(a) : eighteenth
decimocuarto(a) : fourteenth
decimonono(a) : nineteenth
decimoquinto(a) : fifteenth
decimoséptimo(a) : seventeenth
decimosexto(a) : sixteenth
decimotercero(a) : thirteenth
declaración : declaration, statement, affidavit
declarado(a) : declared, stated
decreto : decree
dedicado(a) : dedicated
dedo : finger
defensor : defense, counsel
defunción : death
dehesa : pasture land
delación : relinquishment, abandonment; (law) assignment
delegación : delegation (delegating of power); group of delegates
demanda : demand, claim
dentición : teething
dentro : within, inside
denuncia : accusation, denunciation
departamento : district, department; one of the districts into which a country or state or province is divided
depósito : deposit, depository
derecha : right
derecho : law; right
derecho canónico : canon law
derrame : stroke; spill
desacuerdo : disagreement
desaveniencia : disagreement
descendiente : descendant
desconocido(a) : unknown
descripción : description
desde : since
despachar : to finish or shorten at a section; to resolve or determine the causes; to send a person or thing
despoblado : unpopulated
después : after
detrás : after, behind
día de los reyes : Day of the Kings or Magi, Twelfth Night, January 6th
diario : daily
diarrea : diarrhea
diccionario : dictionary
diccionario corográfico : geographical dictionary
diciembre : December
dicho(a) : stated, said, the above mentioned; (law) declaration, statement made by witness
diecinueve : nineteen
dieciocho : eighteen
dieciséis : sixteen
diecisiete : seventeen
diente : tooth
diez : ten
diezmo : tithing
difo.=difunto : deceased
difunto(a) : deceased
dignidades reales : Your Royal Highness; royal concessions or grants
digno(a) : worthy
digo : I say, I mean, frequently used by scribes in records to correct errors as they wrote
diligencia matrimonial : premarital investigation conducted by parish priest
diócesis : diocese, unit of the Catholic Church presided over by a bishop
diputado(a) : deputy
discernimiento : judgment; appointment of a guardian
disentería : dysentery
dispensa / dispensación : exemption, permission
dispensa apostólica : apostolic dispensation or grant given by a pope or bishop, depending upon its nature
dispensa de su santidad : apostolic dispensation or grant given by a pope or bishop
dispensa matrimonial : exception to canon law regulation given by bishop to bride and groom to permit marriage, e.g. , for being related within the 4th degree
disposición : arrangement, disposal
dista / distante / distancia : distance (from)
distrito : district
divorciado(a) : divorced
divorcio : divorce
doce : twelve
doctrina : doctrine; ritual; a village of Indians that as yet has not been designated as a parish ( curato or parroquia ), a district under the direction of a priest expressly called to indoctrinate the Indians; Latin American parish
documento : document
documento nacional de identidad : personal identity document issued by the civil government (used throughout much of the Hispanic world)
domicilio : dwelling, residence
domiciliado en : residing in
domingo : Sunday
don : title of respect prefixed to Christian names, which prior to 1832 usually referred to nobility or to political or ecclesiastical office holders
donación : donation, gift, grant
donde : where
doña : lady (see don ); woman; (Chile) gift, bequest; (pl.) bridegroom’s presents to the bride
dos : two
doscientos : two hundred
dotación : endowment, dowry
dote : dowry, that property which a woman takes into marriage
d.s.p. = defunctus sine prole : died without issue
ducado : the coin of gold or silver that the Catholic monarchs created, established in the value of 375 maravedís de vellón , which varied; dukedom, duchy
ducado de plata : its value was 375 maravedís of silver and corresponded in vellón with the variety—according to the increase or decrease which silver had at different times
dueño(a) : owner
duodécimo : twelfth
duque : duke, title of honor which follows that of prince
Letter E
eclesiástico(a) : ecclesiastical
ecónomo : priest temporarily in charge of a parish.
edad : age
ejecutor(a) : executor
ejecutoria : court or administrative body that issues ejecutorios
ejecutorios : legal patent of nobility; (law) writ of execution (of a judgment)
ejército : army, military
él : he, him
el : the
elección : election
ella : she
ellos : they
emancipación : emancipation, the act of freeing from servitude
embarazada : pregnant
embarcar : to pack, crate, bale; to go aboard a vessel
emigración : emigration, population movement, leaving one’s native country to go and establish oneself in another country
emigrante : emigrant
empleado(a) : employee
encinta : pregnant
en tierra : on land
encomendero : one who had Indians assigned to him in an encomienda during the first centuries of the colonial era (see amparo )
encomienda : patronage, commandery; dignity of military order to which a geographical territory and certain income therefrom was attached; a village or territory of Indians that was under the jurisdiction of an encomendero who was charged with the supervision of the moral and civil education of a group of Indians in exchange for a tribute collected from the Indian labor
enero : January
enfermedad : disease
enterrado(a) : buried
entierro : burial, funeral, interment
entrambos(as) : both
entre : between, among
envejecido(a) : elderly
epidemia : epidemic
epilepsia : epilepsy
episcopal : of the bishop
era : (I, you, he, she, it) was/were
éramos : (we) were
eran : (you, they) were
eras : (you) were
es : (you, he, she, it) are/is
escarlata : escarlet fever
esclavitud : slavery
esclavo(a) : slave
escribanía : noraty office; court clerkship, office of the court clerk; writing desk
escribano : notary; court clerk, judge’s secretary
escribiente : scribe
escritura : writing, handwriting; document, e.g., deed; instrument contract, indenture
escritura encadenada : chain writing, a form of procesal handwriting used extensively before the sixteenth century
escuela : school
ese / esa : that
español : the Spanish language
español(a) : of or relating to Spain; in colonial records, racial designation indicative of white or of pure Spanish blood
español criollo : Spanish creole; that individual born of Spanish parents within the Spanish colonies
espera : (law) adjournment
esposo(a) : husband (wife), spouse
espurio(a) : illegitimate
está : (you, he, she, it) are/is
estación : season; station
estado : status, e.g., marital status; state, nation, country, government
estamos : (we) are
están : (they, you) are
estar : to be
este : east
este(a, o) : this
estómago : stomach
estoy : (I) am
evangélico(a) : evangelical
examen(a) : see carta de examen
exhumación : exhumation, removal of a corpse from its grave, niche, or mausoleum
expediente : the written proceedings of a particular action; petition; file
expediente de quinta : conscript’s file; the written conscription proceedings
expediente matrimonial : marriage proceeding or application
expósito(a) : abandoned, foundling child (frequently used as the surname for such children)
extracto : extract
extracto del certificado : summary or abstract of the certificate (not a literal copy)
extramuros : outside the city walls
extranjero(a) : foreigner
extraño(a) : stranger
extremaunción : extreme unction, last rite (fifth of the Seven Sacraments) administered to a gravely ill person, usually just before death
Letter F
fábrica : factory; construction; church property funds
fallecer : to die
fallecido(a) : deceased
familia : family; all persons of the same blood, such as uncles, cousins, nephews, etc.
familiar : pertaining to a family; domestic; servant of the clergy; local representative or servant of the Inquisition
fanega : unit of measure equating 1.5 bushels; dry measurements—12 celemines, which is equivalent to 55.5 liters; weight measurement— measurements of grain and other seeds, it is the fourth part of what in Castile is called a “carga” of wheat, because this has about 4 arrobas
fe : certificate; faith
febrero : February
fecha : date
feligrés(a) : parishioner, person belonging to a given parish
feligresía : parish congregation.
femenino(a) : feminine
ferrería : iron works
ferrocarril : railroad
feudo : fee
fianza : deposit, guarantee, bond, bail
fichas : index cards
fichero : filing cabinet; index-card system, filing-card system, card-catalog
fiebre tifoidea : typhoid fever
fiel de fechos : individual authorized to act as a notary in towns where no notary is available
filiación : military register of a soldier; parental ties between parents and children
filial : relating to a son; dependent institution
finado(a) : deceased
finiquito : closing of an account
firma : signature
flaqueza : weakness
floresta : forest, grove
folio : page of a book, notebook or bundle ( legajo )
fondos : funds
fornicación : fornication, sexual union outside of the marriage contract where the persons involved are not married
foro : tribunal court; bar, legal profession; lease, rent
fortaleza : fortress, strength
francés(a) : French
frente : front, in front of
frontera : border, frontier
fue : (you, he, she, it) were/was
fuego : fire, hearth
fuente : fountain, source
fuero : jurisdiction; right, the privilege of the clergy and military to be tried in their own courts; traditional regional law
fueron : (you, they) were
fui : (I) was
fuimos : (we) were
fundación : foundation endowment
futuro : future
Letter G
ganado : cattle
gemelo(a) : twin; word used to distinguish one or two or more children born at the same time
gemelos(as) : twins
genealogía : genealogy
gente : people
gobernación : government, governing
gobernador : governor, the supreme ruler of a province, department, city or territory
gota : gout, drop
grado : degree, grade, rank
gran / grande : grand, great, large
gremio : guild, society, association, brotherhood
gripe : influenza
guarda : guard, warden
guardia : guard, body of soldiers; keeper, custodian
guía : guide; advisor, instructor, trainer
Letter H
h.= hijo : son
habitante : inhabitant
hace ya dos años : two years ago already
hacienda : farmstead, estate, farm, a rural establishment; the Treasury Department
hecho(a) : completed, done
hembra : female
hemorragia : hemorrhage, bleeding
heráldica : heraldry
heredad : a. Portion of cultivated land, traditionally inherited to a family. b. Inheritance.
heredero(a) : heir
herencia : inheritance
hermanastro(a) : stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister
hermandad : brotherhood, confraternity, fraternity, sisterhood
hermano(a) : brother, sister
hermano(a) político(a) : brother-in-law (sister-in-law)
hermanos : brothers, siblings, born of the same parents, or of the same father, or of the same mother
herrero : blacksmith
hidalgo : noble, of noble blood, gentry; from hijo de algo literally “son of something”
hidropesía : dropsy
hijastra : stepdaughter
hijastro : stepson, stepchild
hijo(a) : child, son, daughter (usually appears in documents modified by some adjective such as legítimo , ilegítimo , natural , etc.)
hijo(a) adoptivo(a) : adopted child, a person that legally uses the name of another
hijo(a) legítimo(a) : legitimate child, a child born of a legal union
hijo(a) natural : common-born child, a child born of unwed parents who could have been legally married if they had desired, an illegitimate child
hijo(a) político(a) : son-in-law (daughter-in-law)
hijodalgo : see hidalgo
hijos : sons, children
hijuela : document listing the assets that a person is to receive from a decedent’s estate; the assets to be received from a decedent’s estate; little daughter, little girl; anex or subordinate church
hinchazón : swelling
hipoteca : mortgage, pledge
Hispaniola : colonial name for Haiti and the Dominican Republic
historia : history
h.l. = hijo legítimo
h.n. = hijo natural
hogar : home
hoja : leaf, sheet of paper, page of book
hoja de lámina : plate (book)
hoja de servicios : service record, document of an officer containing the personal and professional antecedents of government employees, used extensively in the military
hoja familiar : family group sheet
holandés(a) : Dutch
hombre : man, husband
honesto(a) : honest
hora : hour
hospedero : innkeeper
huérfano(a) : orphan
Letter I
i : and
i.=ilegítimo : illegitimate
idioma : language
iglesia : church
Iglesia Católica : Catholic Church
igual : equal
ilegítimo : illegitimate
ill.=ilegítimo : illegitimate
impedimento : obstacle, hindrance, obstruction; impediment, in particular one of those imposed by canon law to prevent marriage by related persons, married persons, etc.
imperio : empire
imponible : taxable
impuesto : tax
in facie ecclesiae : Latin phrase meaning before the church ; used in marriage documents to describe full church marriage
incógnito(a) : unknown, unrecognized
incontinente : immediately, promptly
indemnidad : indemnity (security or protection against injury, damage, or loss)
Indias : Indies; the Americas, including the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America
índice : written index, list, catalog
indígena : indigenous, native, Indian
indigente : indigent
indio(a) : Indian, a person living with the Indians who adopts their customs, a social designation
industria : industry
información : declaration or statement of fact
información matrimonial : a bundle of papers or an entry in a parish book which originates from pre-marriage proceedings that include the publication of banns ( amonestación matrimonial ), declarations by the contracting parties and witness, and at times a copy of the marriage ceremony, copies of baptismal records of bride and groom, and consents of parents to marriage or copies of their death records
infrascrito(a) : written hereafter; undersigned person
inglés(a) : English
inhumación : burial
inmigración : immigration, population movement between two countries, entry to a foreign country with the intention of establishing permanent residence there
inmigrante : immigrant
inmoble : real estate
inmueble : real estate
ino.=indio : Indian
instancia : petition, request
instancia, corte de primera : lower court, court of original jurisdiction
intendencia : intendency, territorial division under the direction of the intendente, which originated in the Americas during the last quarter of the eighteenth century under the reign of Carlos III and continued until the Independence Era
intendente : mayor
intestado(a) : intestate, without testament
intestinos : intestines
inventario : inventory
inventario de bienes de difunto : inventory of the deceased person’s assets
investigador : investigating, researching; investigator
invierno : Winter
Islas Fortunatas : Colonial name for the Canary Islands
italiano(a) : Italian
itálica : paleographic term, italic, cursive script introduced during the sixteenth century in Spain and the Americas. Bastarda.
ítem : used to introduce a new fact or statement, or, more frequently, each new article or particular in an enumeration, esp. in a formal list or document, as an inventory, or will.
izquierda : left
Letter J
jardinero : gardener
jesuita : Jesuit
jornalero : journeyman, day laborer
jubilado : retired
judío(a) : Jewish
jueves : Thrusday
juez : judge, juryman; governor of Castile
julio : July
junio : June
junto(s) : together
junto a : next to
jurado : juryman
juramento : oath
jurisdicción : jurisdiction
jurisdicciones : jurisdictions; boundary; district
juro(s) : right of perpetual ownership, perpetual annuity; pension
justicia : justice, rightness, fairness; court (of justice); tribunal
juzgado : local court
juzgado de comarca : region or district court
juzgado de primera instancia : court of original jurisdiction (the first petition)
Letter L
l., leg. = legítimo : legitimate
la : the (feminine)
labrador : farmer, peasant
ladino(a) : mixture of three parts of Spanish blood, and one part of Indian blood; a name given to those Indians who speak Spanish; in Panama, a Christian Negro who spoke Spanish; in Costa Rica, a name indicating a social position, or a Spaniard with a small amount of Indian blood
ladrillero : brick mason, bricklayer
lago : lake
lasto : receipt given to a person who pays for someone else
latifundio : large landed estate typical of Andalucia and large parts of Latin America
latitud : latitude
lechero : dairyman
legajo : bundle of loose papers that are usually tied together because they deal with common subject; most common unit of filed papers in Spanish archives
legal : legal
legítimo(a) : legitimate, lawful
legua : league (3 ½ miles); length—land measurement which varies depending on the nation, equivalent to approximately 5.572m.
lengua : language, tongue
levante : east
ley : law
liberación : exoneration, exemption from taxes or obligations
libertad : freedom, liberty; privilege, right
liberto(a) : freed slave
libra : weight measure, weight which commonly is 16 oz., even though it can change depending on the place; the measurement by which some liquids, such as olive oil, are sold—it is divided in 4 cuarterones, which is the same as 16 ounces (in the drug stores this measure has 12 ounces)
libramiento : deliverance; warrant or order of payment
libranza : draft, bill of exchange, money order
libro : book
libro de actas : minute book
libro de familia : book of the family, often issued by the government for recording births, marriages, and deaths
libros sacramentales : parish registers
licencia : permission, authority; leave, furlough
licenciado : release; licensed, authorized; licentiate, holding master’s degree
lícito(a) : legal
límite : boundary
limosna : alms
limpieza de sangre : purity of blood; a phrase used in the records of the Inquisition, civil fraternal orders, and some other governmental employment records indicating that a person and his ancestry were not contaminated with heretic religion nor the blood of Moors, Moriscos, Jews, or Negros; records showing the purity of ancestry of the person applying for a position
liquidación : liquidation, winding up; liquidation of debts
lobo(a) : mixture of one part of Indian blood and three parts of Negro blood
longitud : longitude
lonja : public exchange, market
lugar : village, hamlet; place, spot, site
lunes : Monday
Letter M
macho : male
madrastra : stepmother, the woman with respect to the children of her husband born of another marriage
madre : mother
madre política : mother-in-law
madrina : godmother, a woman who assists in one of the sacraments of baptism, marriage, etc. (many times the godmother is a near relative), sponsor, protectoress
maestro : master, teacher
magistratura : judgeship
maíz : corn
mancipación : transfer of property
mandas : bequests
mano : hand
mañana : tomorrow; morning
mapa : map
Mar del Norte : the North See; the Atlantic and Caribbean in early colonial records
Mar del Sur : the South See, the Pacific
maravedí : ancient Spanish coin, sometimes it has been understood by a certain coin and others by number or quantity of them. Their value varied at different times, because of their different quality and metal; because they were of gold, silver, and copper. In eighteenth-century Spain, there were 34 maravedís in one real .
margen : margin
marido : husband
marina : Navy
marinero : sailor
marítimo(a) : maritime
marqués : marquis; in ancient times, a lord over the lands situated on the frontiers of a kingdom; in later times, a noble title between that of count and duke
martes : Tuesday
marzo : March
más : more
masculino : masculine
más joven : younger, youngest
materno(a) : maternal, pertaining to the mother’s family
matrícula : register, list, roster, roll census
matrimonial : matrimonial, relating to marriage
matrimonio : marriage
mayo : May
mayor : larger, elder
mayorazgo : family estate, entailed on the eldest son; a legal term indicating priority right to authority, inheritance, or succession; first-born son with the right of primogeniture
media anata : payment made to obtain a title position or benefice original equal to one-half year’s income from the title, position, or benefice
media noche : midnight
médico : doctor
medio hermano : half-brother (sister), being brother (sister) only by father or mother
mejora : special bequest, additional bequest; development, improvement
mellizo(a) : twin, (pl.) two children born of one pregnancy
memoria : memory, recollection; report; study account
mendigo : beggar
menonita : Mennonite
menor : smaller, younger; smallest, youngest
menos : less
mercadería : wares, goods
mercado : market
mercante : merchant
merced : grant or privilege given by the monarch or lord to his vassals; these came to be associated with control over income-producing property and required an initial payments as well as payment when a transfer was made by death, gift, or sale to another person (see media anata )
merindad : jurisdiction and post of a district judge; district whose interests were looked after by the chief town within that territory; township district
méritos : merit; accomplishments
mes : month
mestizo : a person born of parents of different races, usually Spanish and Indian; crossbreed
mi : my, me
miembro : member
miércoles : Wednesday
mil : thousand
milicia : (mil.) militia
militar : pertaining to the military or to war; a person serving in the army
milla : mile
mina : mine
minero : miner
ministro : minister
mío(a) : mine
misa : celebration of the Eucharist, Mass
misión : indian parish under control of one of the religious orders
mismo(a) : same
mita : tribute paid by the Indians of Peru and Bolivia; forced labor in the mines, factories, and on public works for which the Indians were selected by lot during Inca and Spanish dominion—minor compensation was sometimes given (see repartimiento )
mitad : half
m.n.=more novo : according to the new manner of dating (the Gregorian calendar)
molino : mill
monasterio : monastery
monje(a) : monk (nun)
montaña : mountain
monte : hill
montero(a) : hunter
morada : dwelling
morador(a) : resident
morar : to live (location)
moreno(a) : mixture of two parts of Spanish blood, one part of Indian blood, and one part of Negro blood; offspring of Spaniard and zambaigo
morir : to die
morisco(a) : Moorish, those baptized Moors that lived in Spain and the colonies; Mexico, mixture of Spanish and mulatto blood
mozo(a) : single, unmarried, bachelor; lad, young man; the youngest or junior
muchacho(a) : boy, girl
muchas veces : often
muchos(as) : many
mudo(a) : dumb
muebles : furniture, household
muerte : death
muerto(a) : deceased
mujer : woman; wife
mulato(a) : mulatto, a person having one white and one black parent. A person of mixed race resembling a mulatto
municipal : of or relating to the municipio
municipio : municipality, the territorial jurisdiction which includes the inhabitants governed by a town council
murió : died, third person singular in the past tense of morir
Letter N
n.=nació, nacido : born
n.=nombre : name
nac.=nacido(a) : born
nacer : to be born
nacido(a) : born
nacido(a) muerto(a) : stillborn
nacimiento : birth
nació : third person singular in the past tense of nacer , he was born
nacionalidad : nationality, citizenship
nariz : nose
natural : native of, born in a given locality; born outside of the marriage contract
naturaleza : nature; nationality; place of origin
nave : ship; nave, aisle
navío : ship
necesidad : necessity, need
negocio : business
negro(a) : Negro, black or dark-skinned, native of various tribes of Africa
negro(a) fino(a) : mixture of one part of Spanish blood and three parts of Negro blood; offspring of mulatto and Negro
nene : baby, child
nieta : granddaughter
nieto : grandson
nietos : grandchildren
ningún(o, a) : none, not one
niño(a) : child
no : no
no.=número : number
nobiliario : nobiliary, peerage list; pertaining to the nobility
noble : noble
nobleza : nobility
noche : night
nombramiento : appointment, election, nomination, commission
nombrar : to elect or appoint; to name, to mention by name.
nombre : name
nombre de pila : given or Christian name, e.g., name given at baptismal font
nono(a) : ninth
noreste / nordeste : northeast
noroeste : northwest
norte : north
nosotros : we
notable : notable, noteworthy, outstanding
notario : notary, authorized official for preparing and certifying public actions, contracts, deeds, bonds, wills, etc. Before 1869, those using this title were usually ecclesiastically appointed, and the civil notaries of that era were generally called escribanos .
novecientos : nine hundred
noveno(a) : ninth
noventa : ninety
novia : bride, fiancée
noviembre : November
novio : groom, fiancé
novios : betrothed
nuera : daughter-in-law, wife of the son
nuestro(a) : our, ours, of ours
Nueva Andalucía : region of Tierra Firme between the Cabo de la Vela in the gulf of Uraba or Darien in modern Colombia ; the region and city of Cumana, Venezuela
Nueva Castilla : northern part of colonial Peru, its southern boundary 25 but more than 60 leagues south of the San Juan de Chincha River
Nueva Córdoba : Venezuela during the early colonial era
Nueva España : colonial Mexico
Nueva Extremadura : early colonial Chile, the northern part of Chile; the territory of Coahuila, Mexico
Nueva Galicia : colonial Aguascalientes, Jalisco, and parts of Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí, and Coahuila in Mexico (its capital was Guadalajara)
Nueva Granada : the Californias in the early colonial period
Nueva Vizcaya : separated from Nueva Galicia 1573-1576, included Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango, Chihuahua, and parts of Coahuila in Mexico (its capital was Durango)
Nuevo León : Nuevo Leon, Mexico and its surrounding areas, including part of Tamaulipas
Nuevo Santander : the northern part of colonial Colombia; northeastern Mexican State of Tamaulipas and Texas south of the Nueces River before 1848
Nuevo Toledo : the southern part of colonial Peru, that jurisdiction which from 1559 was known as the Audiencia de Charcas, its southern boundary being the straits of Magellan; Chile
nueve : nine
nuevo(a) : new
num.=número : number
número : number
nunca : never
nupcias : marriage, wedding, nuptials
Letter O
o : or
obispado : bishopric, episcopate
obispo : bishop, spiritual and ecclesiastical leader of a diocese
óbito : death
obituario : obituary, book wherein are registered deaths and burials, section of death notices in the newspapers
obligación : obligation, responsibility, duty; liability, bond
obras pías : foundation or donation created or given for church work or for charitable works, literally, pious works
obrero : worker, laborer
observaciones : comments, marginal notes
occidente : west
octavo(a) : eighth
octubre : October
ochenta : eighty
ocho : eight
ochocientos : eight hundred
oeste : west
oferta : offering
oficio : occupation, job, work, craft, trade; office, post, position; function; written communication.
ofrenda : offering
oidor : magistrate who, in the royal courts ( audiencia ), heard and sentenced disputes and lawsuits
ojo : eye
óleo : blessed oil used in the ceremonies of the Church
once : eleven
onomástico(a): onomastic (referring to names)
onza : weight that is worth 16 adarmes and is equivalent to 28,7 grams; the twelfth part of a Roman libra
onza de oro : a Spanish ancient gold coin minted from the time of Felipe III until that of Fernando VII and worth 320 reales, meaning 80 pesetas
operario : worker, laborer
oración : prayer
orden militar : religious order of knights, such as Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara, Malta, San Juan de Jerusalén
orden regular : religious order that takes vows, such as that of the Franciscan, Dominican, Jesuit, etc.
oreja : ear
orfanato : orphanage
oriente : east
originario : native of a given place
oro : gold
o.s.p.=obiit sine prole : died without issue
otoño : autumn
otorgar : to set forth, establish, offer, grant, stipulate or promise something usually used when the notary is preparing the actual document
otro(a) : other, another
otrosí : furthermore, besides, moreover; (law) each additional petition after the principal one
Letter P
padrastro : stepfather, the husband of one's mother and not one's natural father.
padre : father; (pl.) parents; (pl.) ancestors; priest
padre político : father-in-law; stepfather
padrino : godfather, a man who assists in one of the sacraments of baptism, marriage, etc., usually a friend or relative; (pl.) godparents
padrón : list or census of the residents or inhabitants of a village, parish, city, or military unit.
pag.=página : page
país : country
palacio : palace
paleografía : paleography, study of ancient handwriting
panadero : baker
panteón : cemetery, funeral monument where the dead are buried
para : for, to
pardo : mixture of one part of Spanish blood, two parts of Indian blood, and one part of Negro blood; dark, mulatto
parecer : to appear, seem, look; manner of viewing, e.g., a nuestro parecer
parentesco : kinship
pariente : relative
párrafo : paragraph
párroco : parish priest
parroquia : parish, territory covered by the spiritual jurisdiction of a parish priest; the church of the parish
parroquiano(a) : parishioner
parte : part, fragment; part, share, portion
partera : midwife
partición : division, partition, separation, especially a division of assets following death
partida : act, certificate
partido judicial : district, usually made up of several villages in a province, in which a judge exercises original jurisdiction over civil and criminal judicial matters (judicial district)
parto : labor, birth
párvulo(a) : small child
pasado : past
pastor : pastor, minister, shepherd
paterno(a) : paternal, from the father's line
patrimonio : inheritance
patrón : master, employer
pd.=padre : father
pechero(a) : taxable, taxpayer; plebeian, commoner
pedimiento : petition; petition or claim presented to judge and each separate case therein
peninsular : peninsular, born in Spain or Portugal
penitenciaria : penitentiary
perdón : pardon, forgiveness, grace, reprieve
periódico : periodic, periodical, newspaper
permiso : permission
permuta : exchange, usually of two public or ecclesiastical offices or benefices; interchange, barter
pero : but
pescador : fisherman
peseta : Spanish monetary unit
peso : weight; Spanish coin used in colonies
peste : plague
pie : foot, length measurement which in Castile was equivalent to 28 cm., and today in England to 30.5 cm., in France to 33 cm.
pierna : leg
pieza de indias : one slave in good condition; various young slaves or women in poor condition
plaga : plague
plata : silver
plaza : main square of a town; space or place for a person with others of similar type; office, position, employment
plazo : term, period of time; installment
pleito : lawsuit, suit, court or judicial action or proceedings
población : population; town, village
poblado : town, village; populated
pobre de solemnidad : notoriously poor
poder : power, strength; power of attorney; (pl.) authority
polaco(a) : Polish
político(a) : when applied to a term of blood relationship, indicates the same relationships by marriage, e.g., padre político (father-in-law)
por : by, for, through, along, over, by way of, via, around, about, in, at; by means of, with, in exchange for, in return for; times, multiplied by
por qué : why
porque : because
portero : doorman
portugués : Portuguese
posada : hostel, shelter
posadero : innkeeper
posesión : possession (in all senses); (pl.) possessions, property, estate
postura : posture, position, attitude; bid, offer; agreement; stake, wager, bet
prelado : prelate, ecclesiastical dignitary, superior of a convent
prenda : gifts exchanged between the bride and the groom before marriage
preñada : pregnant
presente : present
presidente : head or leader of the courts ( audiencias ) and chancery ( chancillería ), one of the titles of the viceroy, president
presidio : fort, military installation
pretendiente : claimant, seeker, petitioner; candidate (for office); suitor (for a woman’s hand)
previsto : anticipated
primavera : spring
primero(a) : first
primo(a) : cousin, child of an uncle or aunt
primo(a) carnal : first cousin, child of an uncle or aunt
primo(a) hermano(a) : first cousin, child of an uncle or aunt
primogénito : firstborn
priorato : priorate, priory
prisión : prison
privilegio : privilege, grant, concession; exemption; franchise, patent
probanza : (law) prove, proving; (law) proof, evidence
procesal : (law) legal, of a trial; paleographic term, handwriting style used in Spain from 1300 to 1500, replaced by itálica
proceso : process, (law) trial, lawsuit, action
procurador : city representative to Spanish Cortes, local city attorney.
profesión : profession
profesor(a) : teacher, professor
progenitor : progenitor
prohijación : adoption of a child as one’s own
prole : progeny
promesa : promise, offer; vow, pledge
propiedad : property, land
propietario : proprietor, owner
prorrogación : extension or postponement for a specified period of time
protesta : protest, protestation, declaration, affirmation, promise
protestante : Protestant
protesto : declaration made before a notary or judge to protect one’s right, declaration made before a notary when a letter of exchange is not paid to protect one’s right
protocolo : book generated and preserved by the notary publics
provincia : province, territorial division representing different extensions of jurisdiction depending on the country
Provincias Internas : Interior Provinces; that region of northern Mexico which included the states of Durango, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Nuevo Mexico, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Texas
próximo(a) : next
pueblo : town, village, people; in the colonies, a geographical area under the administration of royal officials as compared to the encomienda or mission which were administered by private and ecclesiastical personnel, respectively
puente : bridge
puerto : port
pulgada : length measurements, measurement that is the twelfth part of a pie
pulmón : lung
pulmonía : pneumonia
Letter Q
que : that
qué : what
quién : who, whom
quince : fifteen
quinientos : five hundred
quinta : country house, manor, villa; (Peru) group of town houses with a common entrance; (Spain) annual draft, induction of recruits for the army
quinto(a) : fifth
quintal(es) : weight measurement, equivalent to 100 pounds or four arrobas , even though it varies in some places; the fifth part of a hundred
quinterón : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and cuarterón blood
quizás : maybe
Letter R
rancho : ranch, often large enough to be a small community, even with its own chapel
ratificación : ratification, confirmation
real : royal, of or pertaining to the Crown; a kind of Spanish coin
real audiencia : the supreme court or tribunal of the colonial Americas, the court of last resort. It served as a representative of the king; its decisions were final and only the king could reserve them
real(es) : coin of value of 34 maravedís , which were called real de vellón or, in some places, the silver real
rebisabuelo(a) : great-great-grandparent
rebisnieto(a) : great-great-grandchild
rebusca : research
recepción : reception, receiving, receipt; admission, (law) examination of witnesses
recibo : receipt (document acknowledging payment)
reclamación : claim, demand; objection, protest, complaint; (law) remonstration
reconocimiento : recognition, admission, acknowledgment; inspection, examination
redención : redemption, salvation; (com.) redemption (of a pledge, mortgage, etc.)
redención de cautivos : the efforts to provide for the redemption of Christian prisoners during the Middle Ages
redondilla : paleographic term; the round hand, distinguished by its straight and circular strokes
reducción : reduction; a village of Indians converted to Christianity, usually directed by a religious order such as the Jesuits
regidor : alderman, prefect
regimiento : military unit headed by a coronel
registro : register, record, record book; registration, registry; examination, inspection, search; entry, record, register
registro civil : civil registry
registros : registers, records
registros civiles : civil records, vital records
reglamento : regulation; regulations, bylaws
regular : regular monk or priest who is a member of a religious order that takes vows
reina : queen
reinado : reign
reino : kingdom, realm
religión : religion
religioso(a) : religious; one who has taken the vows of an order, i.e., monk, priest, or nun
renta(s) : revenue, income; rent, alquiler; annuity; government bonds, public debt
renunciación : renunciation; resignation; (law) waiver, disclaimer
repartimiento : distribution of lands after reconquest; the assessment of work assignments and the subsequent distribution of those so assessed to their work stations in the mines, haciendas, public works, etc. In many cases, this was an involuntary servitude, especially by Indians in the colonies
repudiación : repudiation
requerimiento : request, requisition, demand, summons; (law) injunction
requinterón : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and quinterón blood
requinterón de mestizo : in Peru, mixture of Spanish and quinterón de mestizo blodd
residencia : residence, residing in
residente : resident
resguardo : protection, shelter; security, voucher; frontier customs guard
retatarabuelo : a great-great-great-grandfather
retirado(a) : retired
retiramiento : retirement
retrato : portrait
revista : review, inspection of troops
revocación : revocation, abrogation; annulment; (law) reversal
rey : king
rezo : prayer
riachuelo : stream
río : river
rito : rite
rojo(a) : red
rompimiento : a fee payed to the church by the owner of a sepulchre to have it opened for the burial of another body
rostro : face, countenance
ruso(a) : Russian
Letter S
s.=señor : sir, mister
sábado : Saturday
sacerdote : priest
sacramento : sacrament, one of several religious rites or symbols believed in by several religions (e.g., baptism, marriage, etc.); the Eucharist
sacristán : sacristan, sexton, the individual who took care of the ecclesiastical cemeteries
sagrado(a) : sacred, holy
sala : parlor, hall, lounge, salon; court, tribunal
san : saint
sangradura : bleeding
Santa Cena : the Eucharist
santo(a) : holy, saintly, hallowed, sacred, blessed; saint
santos óleos : holy oil
sarampión : measles
sargento : seargent
sargento mayor : (mil.) major
sastre : tailor
secular : secular, priest who is not a member of an order that takes vows
segundo(a) : second, secondary
seguridad : safety, security; certainty, assurance; surety bond
seguro : safe, secure, steady; insurance policy; permit, warrant, license
seis : six
seiscientos : six hundred
semana : week
señalamiento : designation, appointment, indication (of place, time)
señorío : domain
separado(a) : separate
septentrional : northern, septentrional
septiembre : September
séptimo(a) : seventh
sepulcro : grave, sepulchre
sepultado(a) : buried
sepultura : interment, burial; tomb, grave,; burial place, sepulchre
ser : to be
servicio : service, serving; voluntary donations given to king or state; (pl.) emergency direct tax
sesenta : sixty
setecientos : seven hundred
setenta : seventy
sexo : sex, gender
sexto(a) : sixth
sí : yes
si : if, whether
siempre : always
sierra : mountain range
siete : seven
sigla : paleographic term, abbreviation by use of initial letters to represent entire words
siglo : century
signatura : filing mark (to facilitate filing of documents), library number; (ecclesiastical) Roman Catholic court of justice and pardons
sínodo : sinode, ancient name given to ecclesiastical councils of a diocese
sirviente : servant
sitio : place, site
sitio de ganado : place or part of the land which the cattle occupies
situación : location, situation
situado : located
sn.=san : saint
sobre : about, above, concerning
sobrenombre : surname, nickname
sobreviviente : surviving
sobrino(a) : nephew (niece), child of a brother or sister (known as first nephew/niece or sobrinos carnales ) or of a cousin (known as second nephew/niece or sobrinos segundos )
sobrino(a) bisnieto(a) : great-grand nephew (niece); that relationship of individual to his great-grand uncle (the brother of the great-grandfather)
sobrino(a) nieto(a) : grand-nephew (niece), the relationship of an individual to his grand uncle (the brother of the grandfather)
sociedad : society
solar : manor house
solar para casa : portion of land that has been constructed on, or when one is going to build; stockyard or orchard adjacent, or around, the home
soldada : salary, wages; soldier’s pay
soldadera : female soldier
soldado : soldier; (mil.) private
solemnemente : solemnly
solo : only
soltero(a) : single, unmarried; bachelor, unmarried woman
somos : (we) are
son : (they, you) are
sordo(a) : deaf
soy : (I) am
su(s) : your, his, her, their
subrogación : subrogation, substitution
subsecuente : subsequent
sud/sur : south
sudeste : southeast
sudoeste : southwest
sueco(a) : Swedish
sufragáneo(a) : suffragan, one who is under the jurisdiction or authority of another
suegra : mother-in-law
suegro : father-in-law
suizo(a) : Swiss
sur/sud : south
sustitución : substitution, usually an agreement for one man to fulfill the military service of another
suyo(a)(s) : yours, his, hers, theirs
Letter T
talabartero(a) : leather worker
tal vez : maybe
también : also, too
tarde : afternoon; late
tarjeta : card (visiting, personal, or invitation card); index card, etc.; heading, title (on map)
tasador : public appraiser
tatarabuelo(a) : great-great-grandparent
tataranieto(a) : great-great-grandchild
tejedor(a) : weaver
temprano : early
tenemos : (we) have
tener : to have
tengo : (I) have
teniente : assistant, deputy, substitute; (mil.) lieutenant
tercero : third; (ecc.) tertiary; third party
término : term, word, expression; end, finish, conclusion; limit, boundary, landmark; time limit, term, period, space of time; district
terreno : tract of land, field
territorio : territory
testador : testator, person who writes a will
testamentario : executor, person who oversees distribution of decedent’s assets in accordance with last will and testament
testamento : will, a document in which one declares his last will and in which he disposes of his property and makes other arrangements for after his death
testamento abierto o nuncupático : will that is dictated by a dying person before witnesses and in some cases the notary and is later recorded by the notary in his protocol
testamento adverado : a will—in accordance with local law ( derecho foral ), especially in Galicia—dictated before the párroco and two or more witnesses, and later recorded by the párroco in his parish records or by the notary in the protocolo to make it a public record
testamento cerrado : a will that is written in secret and then sealed before a notary and witnesses to be opened after the death of the testator
testamento ológrafo : holographic will, written and signed in the hand of the testator
testigo : witness
testimonio : testimony
tía : aunt
tía abuela : grand aunt, the sister of the grandparent
tía bisabuela : great-grand aunt, the sister of the great-grandparent
tiempo : time
tiene : (you, he, she, it) has
tienen : (you, they) have
tintorero : dyer
tío : uncle, brother of the father or mother
tío abuelo :grand uncle, the brother of the grandparent
tío bisabuelo : great-grand uncle, the brother of the great-grandparent
tío(a) carnal : brother or sister of the father or mother, uncle or aunt
tío(a) segundo(a) : cousin of the father or mother
título : title, name, sobriquet; caption heading; section (into which laws and regulations are divided); (law) title, such as a title of nobility; diploma
todavía : still
todos(as) : all, everyone
tomo : volume
tonelero : cooper
tos : cough
tos ferina : whooping cough
trabajador : worker, laborer
traducción : translation
transacción : transaction, negotiation; settlement, agreement, compromise
traspaso : transfers of property not involving a sale
trece : thirteen
treinta : thirty
treinta y uno : thirty one
tres : three
trescientos : three hundred
tres días festivos sucesivos : three successive Sundays or holidays; a phrase used in marriage documents referring to the three successive Sundays or holidays in which the publications or banns are made
tribunal : court
tributo : tribute, tax; tribute, respect
trigésimo(a) : thirtieth
trigésimo primero(a) : thirty-first
trigo : wheat
trillizos : triplets, each one of the three children born of one pregnancy
trinidad : trinity
trueco / trueque : trade
tuberculosis : tuberculosis
tumba : tomb, grave
tumor : tumor
tutela : guardianship, the authority conferred by law to an individual to care for the fortune and at times the person of a minor; the documents generated from a guardianship
tutela dativa : (law) guardianship by court appointment
tutela ejemplar : (law) guardianship of the mentally incapacitate
tutelas : records of orphans
Letter U
último(a) : last
un (uno, una) : one
undécimo(a) : eleventh
universidad : university
ut supra : (Lat.) as above
Letter V
valle : valley
vara : length measurement equivalent to 835 millimeters and nine tenths
varón : male
vasco : Basque, of or pertaining to the Basque portion of Spain; Basque language spoken in the Basque country
vascongado : Basque, native of the Basque country; of or pertaining to the Basque portion of Spain
vascuence : Basque, of or pertaining to the Basque portion of Spain; Basque language spoken in the Basque country
véase : look at
vecindad : neighborhood, local area
vecindario : persons taken together, who reside in the same vicinity or neighborhood; list or census of the residents of a town
vecino(a) : legal resident, citizens of a local town, village, or city, usually owning a home and contributing to the local tax collections; by law this status was available only after residing for a fixed number of years in the town; neighbor
veinte : twenty
veinte y cinco : twenty-five
veinte y cuatro : twenty-four
veinte y dos : twenty-two
veinte y nueve : twenty-nine
veinte y ocho : twenty-eight
veinte y seis : twenty-six
veinte y siete : twenty-seven
veinte y tres : twenty-three
veinte y uno : twenty-one
veinticinco : twenty-five
veinticuatro : twenty-four
veintidós : twenty-two
veintinueve : twenty-nine
veintiocho : twenty-eight
veintiséis : twenty-six
veintisiete : twenty-seven
veintitrés : twenty-three
veintiuno : twenty-one
vejez : old age
velación : vigil, watch; (eccl.) veiling ceremony of bride and groom in nuptial mass
velado(a) : veiled; having received the velación
velar : the giving of the velación
vellón : copper coin, real de vellón; mix of silver and copper of which the coin was made in ancient times
vender : to sell
venta : sale, selling
venta real : sale of real property
verano : summer
verde : green
vez : time, turn, occasion
viático : sacrament of the Eucharist administered to the sick in danger of death
vicaría : vicarage; the territory over which a vicar presides, an area similar to a parish in size but not yet advanced in its development sufficiently to be elevated to the position of a parish; a vice-parish
vicario : vicar, the religious functionary who, as an assistant, takes full charge when his superior is gone, the functionary in charge of a parish times
vicario general : vicar general, the alternate bishop or assistant to the chief judge of the diocesan courts and head of the curia of the diocese
viejo(a) : elderly
viernes : Friday
vigésimo(a) : twentieth
vigésimo cuarto(a) : twenty-fourth
vigésimo nono(a) : twenty-ninth
vigésimo octavo(a) : twenty-eighth
vigésimo primero(a) : twenty-first
vigésimo quinto(a) : twenty-fifth
vigésimo segundo(a) : twenty-second
vigésimo séptimo(a) : twenty-seventh
vigésimo sexto(a) : twenty-sixth
vigésimo tercero(a) : twenty-third
vigilia : vigil, the eve of a festival or holy day, as an occasion of devotional watching or religious observance. A prayed or sung Mass pronounced in honor of the deceased.
villa : town or small populated area that has been granted privileges which distinguish it from aldeas and lugares
vínculo : bond, tie, link; (law) entail, entailment in which assets are linked to a family or position (civil or ecclesiastical) according to the instructions of the creator or donor
viña : vineyard
viñedo : vineyard
virreinato : viceroyalty, the territory governed by a viceroy
virrey : viceroy, the personal representative of the king in colonial America
viruela : smallpox; pockmark
visita : visit, call, inspection
viudo(a) : widowed; widower, widow
vivir : to live
vivo(a) : alive
vizconde : viscount, a title of nobility which follow that of count in its rank
volumen : volume
vuelto(a) : verso, reverse side
Letter Y
y : and
yerno : son-in-law
yo : I
Letter Z
zambaigo : offspring of Negro and mulatto; in Venezuela mixture of one part of Indian blood and one part of Negro blood; in Chile and Colombia this mixture is called mulatto
zambo de indio : in Peru, offspring of Negro and Indian
zapatero : shoemaker
Racial Terminology Found in Latin American Genealogical Records
albarazado : Cambujo and Mulato
albino : Spanish and Morisco
allí te estás : Chamizo and Mestizo
barcino : Albarazado and Mulato
barnocino : Albarazado and Mestizo
calpamulo(a) : Zambaigo and Lobo
cambujo : Indian (¾) and Negro (¼)
cambur : Negro (½), Spanish (¼), and Indian (¼)
castizo : In Puerto Rico: Mestizo and Spanish. In Guatemala: Spanish and Indian (1/128)
chamizo : Coyote and Indian
chino : In Peru: Mulato and Indian
cholo : In Peru: Mestizo and Indian
cimarrón : In Mexico and Guatemala: Negro (½), Spanish (¼), and Indian (¼)
coyote : Spanish (½), Indian (3/8), and Negro (1/8)
cuarteado : Spanish (½), Indian (¼), and Negro (¼)
cuarterón : Spanish (¾) and Negro (¼)
cuarterón de chino : In Peru: Spanish and Chino
cuarterón de mestizo : In Peru: Spanish and Mestizo
cuarterón de mulato : In Peru: Spanish and Mulato
cuatrero : Indian (¾) and Spanish (¼)
español : Spanish
español criollo : Colonial-born Spaniard
indio : Indian
jíbaro : Lobo and Indian
ladino : Spanish (¾) and Indian (¼)
lobo : Indian (¾) and Negro (¼)
mestizo : Spanish (½) and Indian (½)
moreno : Spanish (½), Indian (¼), and Negro (¼)
morisco : Spanish and Mulato. In Spain: a baptized Moor
mulato : Spanish (½) and Negro (½). In Chile and Colombia: can also be Indian and Negro
negro : African Black
negro fino : Negro (¾) and Spanish (¼)
no te entiende : Tente en el aire and Mulato
no me toques : Mixture of Spanish, Indian, and Negro
ochavado : Spanish (7/8) and Negro (1/8)
pardo : Indian (½), Spanish (¼), and Negro (¼)
prieto : Negro (7/8) and Spanish (1/8)
quartarón : See cuarterón
quinterón : In Peru: Spanish and Cuarterón
requinterón : In Peru: Spanish and Quinterón
salta atrás : Spanish and Albino
tente en el aire : Calpamulato and Cambujo
torna atrás : No te entiende and Indian
tresalbo : Spanish (¾) and Negro (¼)
zambaigo : Spanish and Chino
zambo : In Peru: Negro and Mulato. In Venezuela: Indian (½) and Negro (½)
zambo de indio : In Peru: Negro (½) and Indian (½)
