Skip to main content
Making sense of old handwriting

Symbols and Abbreviations


Historical German church documents were all written incorporating the common symbols and abbreviations of their geographical and historical location. Whether found in Latin, French or German contexts, these symbols and abbreviations are unfamiliar today and often unintuitive to the modern reader. Some of the most common symbols and abbreviations are given in the below charts.

Symbols

Example Transcription English/Explanation
An underlined surname
Haberk Names may be underlined.
A number between slashes for clarification
Siebenten /7/ Juni.. A word or number contained between slashes is simply a restatement or clarification of the preceding word or number.
Parentheses for clarification
Zehnte (10) A word or number contained within parentheses is simply a restatement or clarification of the preceding word or number.
Slashes and colons
22 :/ Zwei und Zwanzigsten :/ Mai A word or number contained between colons and slashes is simply a restatement or clarification of the preceding word or number.
Two small commas
evan,, gelish Two commas, a small equals sign or a dash after a word means that it is continued on the next line.
A colon indicating abbreviation
Joh: Symbols like the colon, comma or period after a conspicuously short word or name indicate that it has been abbreviated.
A doubled n in the name Johanna

Johan̄a
A line over a letter means that that letter is normally doubled. This happens most often with the letters m and n.
Symbol for dead
+ Such a cross next to a name indicates that they are deceased. If there is a date by the cross, that is the individual's death date.
Symbol for marriage
Marriage, typically with the date of the marriage next to it.
Symbol for birth
* Birth or baptism, typically with the date next to it.
symbol for den
d Symbol or abbreviation for the, it typically precedes a date.
Symbol for Sunday
Sunday
Symbol for Monday
Monday
Symbol for Tuesday
Tuesday
Symbol for Wednesday
Wednesday
Symbol for Thursday
Thursday
Symbol for Friday
Friday
Symbol for Saturday
Saturday

Abbreviations

Example Abbreviation German/Latin English
7bris
7bris September September
A.C.
A. C. Augsburger Bekenntnis Augsburg Confession
Anno
Ao Anno In the year...
cop.
cop.  copuliert Married
Dom.
Dom. Sonntag Sunday
ehel.
ehel.   ehelich legitimate
evang.
evang.  evangelisch Protestant
Fol.
Fol.  Folio/Folium Page
geb.
geb.  geboren born
hl.
hl. Heilige Holy
A colon indicating abbreviation
Joh: Johannes John (many common names may be abbreviated like this)
kath.
kath. katholisch Catholic
nachm.
nachm. nachmittags in the afternoon
Nro.
Nro.  numero Number
ux.
ux. uxor Wife
vorm.
vorm. vormittags in the morning

data-content-type=""