Common Phrases
Common Phrases Used in Parish Records
Reading old parish records can be much easier when one understands and becomes familiar with the format of those records. Most christening, marriage, and burial records written after the Council of Trent follow the same pattern and include basically the same phrases. The following is a list of commonly used phrases found in old christening, marriage, and burial records.
General – Geral | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Ídem, iden, eadem, ejusdem (Latin) | same, of the same |
| Dito, supracitado | the said |
| Abaixo-assinando, infraescripto | undersigned |
| Ut supra (Latin) | as above, as stated above (usually refers to the date) |
Date - Data | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Aos dez dias do mês de março de ano… | On ten days of the month of March of the year… |
| Aos quinze dias do mes de Setembro da era de… | On fifteen days of the month of September of the year… |
| Aos vinte e seis dias do mês de julho proximo passado... | On twenty and six days of the past month of July... |
| ... que morreu no dia vinte e cinco do mesmo... | ...that died on the twenty-fifth of the same... |
Place - Lugar | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Nesta vila de Bragança | In this town of Bragança… |
| Neste estado do Rio Grande do Sul… | In this state of Rio Grande do Sul… |
| Nesta (igreja) paroquial de Porto Alegre… | In this parish (church) of Porto Alegre… |
| Na igreja de… | In the church of… |
| Na freguesia de… | In the parish of… |
| No vicariato de… | In the vicariate of… |
| …vizinhos da freguesia de María Magdalena no lugar de Cué, prefeitura de Llanes… | …residents of the parish of María Magdalena in the place of Cué, municipality of Llanes… |
| …todos nativos e vizinhos deste departamento… | …(being) all natives and residents of this district… |
| …nativo da dito prefeitura e vizinho desta freguesia/cidade… | …native of the said municipality and resident of this (parish/town) ... |
Authority - Autoridade | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| A cura | The parish priest |
| O licenciado | The licentiate |
| O pároco | The parson, the parish priest |
| O tenente | The deputy |
| O vigário | The vicar |
| Frei ou irmão | friar or brother |
| O presbítero | the priest |
| O reverendo padre | the reverend father |
| Encargado | in charge |
| Com permissão/autorização de | with permission of |
| com minha permissão/autorização | with my permission |
| ex licentia parochi (Latin) | by license of the parish priest |
| cum venia parochi (Latin) | with permission of the parish priest |
| Fazendo o ofício de | performing the office of |
| Juiz eclesiástico | ecclesiastical judge |
| Deste lugar e sua comarca | of this place and its district |
| desta paróquia e sua quinhão | of this parish (church) and its dependent (church) |
Relationships/Legitimacy – Relações/Legitimidade | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Viúvo (que era) de | widower of |
| Viúva (que era) de | widow of |
| Marido que era de | who was the husband of… |
| Mulher que era de | who was the wife of… |
| Filho legítimo | legitimate son |
| Filho natural | natural-born son |
| Filho ilegítimo | illegitimate son |
| Filho bastardo | illegitimate son of known father |
| Filho espúrio | illegitimate son of unknown father |
| Órfão | abandoned child |
| Enjeitado | abandoned child |
| Filho da igreja | abandoned child |
| Filho de pais desconhecidos | son of unknown parents |
| Filho de pai desconhecido | son of unknown father |
Witnesses/Godparents – Testemunhas/Padrinhos | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Sendo testesmunhas... | being witnesses... |
| Foram testemunhas... | the witnesses were... |
| Eram (seus) padrinhos… | The godparents were… |
| Seguraram a criança | the child was held by… (godparents were…) |
Certification – Certificação | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| E porque é verdade, eu assino | In witness thereof, I sign it. |
| Para que conste, assinei com o dito cura | In witness thereof, I signed it with the said parish priest. |
| Para constância, assino | To certify it I sign it. |
| Em testemunho, assino | In witness thereof, I signed it. |
Christening - Batismo | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Fiz os exorcismos | I baptized (I exorcised) |
| Fez os exorcismos | He baptized (He exorcised) |
| exorcizei… | I baptized (I exorcised) |
| bautizei solenemente | I solemnly baptized |
| pus os santos óleos e o sagrado crisma a | I put the holy oil and the sacred chrism to |
| bautizei sub conditione (Latin) | I baptized conditionally |
| bautizei condicionalmente | I baptized conditionally |
| Pus pelo nome… | I named … |
Warning (Christening) – Advertência (Batimso) | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Quem avisei | whom I advised (of) |
| Quem (eu) disse | whom I told |
| Quem fiz saber | whom I informed (of) |
| Quem informei sobre | whom I instructed concerning |
| O parentesco espiritual | the spiritual relationship |
| As suas obrigações de ensinar a doutrina cristã | their obligation(s) to teach him or her the Christian doctrine |
| E outras obrigações contraídas | and other contracted obligations |
| que contraíam | that they contracted |
| que contraíram | that they contracted |
| que têm contraído | that they have contracted |
Marriage - Matrimônio | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Tendo executado todos os procedimentos conciliares | having taken care of all the conciliar measures |
| Tendo precedido todas as disposições do Santo Concílio de Trento | having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent |
| Tendo precedido tudo o que manda o Santo Concílio Tridentino | having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent |
| Abstendo-se as disposições conciliares | foregoing the conciliar arrangements |
| De acordó com o Concílio de Trento | consistent with the Council of Trent |
| Conforme ao mandado pelo Concílio de Trento | as ordered by the Council of Trent |
| Admoestei em três feriados | I published (banns) on three holy days |
| Tendo sido repreendido em três feriados | having published (banns) on three holy days |
| Depois de ler as três proclamações conciliares | after reading the three conciliar banns |
| Inter missarum solemnia (Latin) | in solemn mass |
| Sem ter resultado em qualquer impedimento | without any impediment (to marriage) resulting |
| E não ter resultado em qualquer impedimento | and no impediment (to marriage) having resulted |
| Não tinha impedimento | no impediment (to marriage) resulted |
| Não resultando em qualquer impedimento | no impediment (to marriage) resulting |
| Confessado | (having) confessed |
| Disposto sacramentalmente | sacramentally disposed |
| Examinado na doutrina cristã | examined in Christian doctrine |
| Instruído na doutrina cristã | instructed in Christian doctrine |
| Sendo hábeis na doutrina cristã | being able in Christian doctrine |
| Dos pretendentes | of the candidates (suitors) |
| Dei as mãos para | I married |
| Casei | I married |
| Casei y velei | I married and veiled (=blessed) |
| In facie ecclesiae (Latin) | in the presence of the congregation |
| Por palavras presentes | using words in present tense (performing an actual marriage as opposed to a promise to marry) |
| De acordo com o Ritual Romano | according to Rituale Romanum (a book prescribing the form of Catholic ceremonies) |
| De acordo com a ordem de nossa Santa Madre Igreja | according to the order of our Holy Mother Church |
| Que constituem o casamento verdadeiro e legítimo | that constitute true and legitimate marriage |
| Que fazem um casamento verdadeiro e legítimo | that constitute true and legitimate marriage |
| Assisti ao casamento de | I was present at the marriage of |
| Assistiu ao casamento de | he was present at the marriage of |
| Com o consentimento mútuo | with the mutual consent |
| Com seu consentimento mútuo | with their mutual consent |
| Ouvindo seus consentimentos mútuos | (having) heard their mutual consent |
Burial - Enterro | |
Portuguese Phrase | Meaning |
| Dei sepultura para | I buried |
| Enterrei | I buried |
| Foi sepultado o cadáver de | the body of ... was buried |
| Missa do corpo presente | a mass said while the corpse of the deceased is present in the church |
| Recebeu os sacramentos de Eucaristia, penitência e extrema-unção | he/she received the sacraments of Eucharist, penitence and extreme unction |
| Mandou se enterrar na igreja paroquial | he/she requested to be buried in the parish church |
| Mandou seis missas pela sua alma | he/she requested six masses for his soul |
| Não deixou testamento | he/she did not leave a will |
| Não testeou | he/she did not leave a will |
| Não testeou por ser pobre de solenidade | he/she did not leave a will because of his/her destitute condition/extreme poverty |
| Deixou um testamento antes do escrivão/tabelião… | left his/her last will and testament before the notary… |
| Nomeou como seu executor (testamentário) | named … as his/her executor |
| Nomeou como herdeiro único e universal | named … as sole and universal heir |