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Making sense of old handwriting

French Names


Deciphering names in an old handwritten document is not as easy as one might suppose. This could be due to the widespread use of abbreviations, the difficulty in reading the handwriting, or the unique practices found in the language. To make this process easier, below are glossaries of names and explanations of the naming practices you will encounter.

Masculine Names
French/names/Louis_XIV_of_France.jpg
Feminine Names
French/names/François_Boucher_-_Madame_de_Pompadour_(ca._1758)_-_Google_Art_ProjectFXD.jpg
Surnames
French/surnames/BnF_Bibliothèque_de_l'Arsenal_Ms-5061._Jean_Thenaud,_Traité_de_la_cabale.jpg
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Introduction
Paleography Introduction