Genealogical Vocabulary
Common Vocabulary
These are tables of the most common terms found in German script documents. Many of these terms may not be quickly recognizable to even the fluent German speaker, consequently the ability to identify these words proves valuable during transcription. Additional tables may be found at Familysearch Wiki's German Genealogical Word List.
German Vocabulary and Grammar
Since civil records were often written in a very formal and technical style, genealogists who don’t speak German should have a vocabulary of about 100 German words at their disposal. Most books on German genealogy include lists of basic, frequently used terms. If English is your native language, you’ve probably noticed that many modern German dictionaries aren’t well suited for this kind of research because they contain very few archaic terms. It’s more helpful to use a dictionary from the 19th century. Even with extensive experience with the German language, it will prove helpful to familiarize yourself with commonly used genealogical words and phrases.