Russian Genealogical Glossary
Word lists, glossaries, and similar tools can be helpful for identifying unfamiliar words in a document. These pages contain lists of words that you are likely to encounter in your research. You can use these pages to prepare and familiarize yourself with common vocabulary before you begin your research or as a reference if you come across a word that is difficult to decipher. Click on the corresponding link below to access word lists or continuing scrolling to access our comprehensive wordlist.
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Comprehensive Word List
Abbreviation | Meaning | Abbreviation | Meaning |
| nom. | nominative case | masc. | masculine |
| acc. | accusative case | fem. | feminine |
| gen. | genitive case | neut. | neuter |
| prep. | prepositional case | plu. | plural |
| dat. | dative case | past | past |
| instr. | instrumental case | pres. | present |
| arch. | archaic | s.f. | short form (for adjectives) |
Russian | English | Topic |
А | ||
| а | and, while, yet, but (denotes a subtle contrast) | |
| адъютант | adjutant | |
| акт | document, record, certificate | |
| армия | army | |
| артиллерист | artillery | |
Б | ||
| бабушка | grandmother | |
| батальон (gen. баталіона) | battalion | |
| благородный | noble | |
| благородство | nobility | |
благословить/поблагословить (past masc. поблагословилъ) | to bless (blessed) | |
| близнец (plu. близнецы) | twin | |
| болезнь (arch. болѣзнь) | disease | |
| бомбардир (arch. бомбардиръ) | bombardier | |
| брак (arch. бракъ) | marriage | |
| бракосочетавшийся (prep. plu. бракосочетавшихсѧ) | the one who got married | |
| бракосочетание (dat. бракосочетанiю) | wedding | |
| брат (arch. братъ) | brother | |
| бременная | pregnant | |
| бывший | former | |
| быть (past masc. былъ, past fem. была, past plu. были) | to be (was) | |
В | ||
| в (во, arch. въ) | [+acc] - into, at (a time); [+prep] - in; at (a place) | |
| вдова | widow | |
| вдовец (arch. вдовецъ) | widower | |
| вдовый (masc. s.f. вдовъ) | widowed | |
| ведомость | register, record, list | |
| венчание (gen. вѣнчанiя) | wedding | |
| венчать (past masc. вѣнчалъ) | to solemnize a marriage (solemnized) | |
| вероисповедание (gen. вѣроисповѣданїя) | religion, denomination | |
| вечер (gen. вечера; instr. вечеромъ) | evening | |
| взрослый | adult | |
| викарный | vicar | |
| винословие | reason (excuse) | |
| владелец | bearer, owner, proprietor | |
| властный | authoritative | |
| внебрачный ребёнок | illegitimate child | |
| внук | grandson | |
| внучка | granddaughter | |
| военный | military, soldier | |
| возраст (gen. возраста) | age | |
| воинский (gen. воинской) | military | |
| война | war | |
| волость (gen. волости) | volost (type of administrative unit) | |
| восприемник (plu. воспріемники, instr. воспріемниками) | godparent | |
| восточной | eastern | |
| вотчина (gen. вотчины) | patrimony, land inheritance | |
| временный (prep. временной) | temporary | |
| время | time | |
| вступающий | the one entering (into the marriage, for example) | Family |
| вчера | yesterday | |
| вчерашний | yesterday (adj.) | |
| выбыть | to leave, drop out | Verbs |
| выписка | extract, record | |
| выходить замуж | to get married (for women) | |
Г | ||
| где (arch. гдѣ) | where | |
| глава (dat. главѣ) | head (of household) | |
| год (arch. годъ, gen. года, gen. plu. лет, лѣтъ) | year | |
| город (prep. городѣ) | city | |
| господин (gen. господина) | sir, lord, master of an estate | |
| гражданин | citizen (male) | |
| гражданка | citizen (female) | |
| грамота | literacy | |
| грамотный | literate | |
| губерния (arch. губернія) | governorate, province | |
Д | ||
| дать | to give | |
| двор (gen. двора) | yard, court, estate | |
| дворянин | nobleman | |
| дворянка | noblewoman | |
| дворянство | nobility | |
| двоюродная сестра | cousin (female) | |
| двоюродный брат | cousin (male) | |
| девица (arch. дѣвица) | maiden | |
| девка (plu. девки) | girl | |
| дед (дедушка) | grandfather | |
| действие (arch. действо, arch. gen. дѣйства) | action | |
| дело | case, matter, business | |
| день (gen. дня) | day | |
| деревня (gen. деревни) | village | |
| диакон (arch. дiаконъ) | deacon | |
| дитя (plu.дети) | child | |
| для | [+gen] - for (in the sense of recipient or intended audience; regarding the purpose of an action) | |
| договор | agreement | |
| дом | house, home, building | |
| домашний (plu. домашнiе) | household (can act as an adjective or noun) | |
| дочь (plu. дочери) | daughter | |
| духовенство | clergy | |
| духовная консистория | spiritual consistory | |
| духовный (plu. духовные) | spiritual, soul | |
| дядя | uncle | |
Е | ||
| еврей | Jew (man) | |
| еврейка | Jew (woman) | |
| еврейский (arch. еврейскiй; prep. еврейской) | Hebrew, Jewish | |
| епархия (gen. епархiи) | diocese | |
| епископ | bishop | |
| если | if | Prepositions/Conjunctions/Particles |
Ж | ||
| же | same (when paired with certain words, e.g., того же, такой же); sometimes acts as a modifier, adding emphasis | |
| жена | wife | |
| женатый | married (of a man) | |
| жениться | to get married (for men) | |
| жених (prep. женихѣ) | groom | |
| женский | female | |
| житель | inhabitant, occupant | |
З | ||
| за | [+acc] - for [+instr] - due to; for what reason/purpose | |
| законный (fem. законная) | lawful (often paired with wife) | |
| запасной | reserve | |
| запись | record, recording, registration | |
| звание (arch. званїе) | social status, rank, title | |
| здесь (arch. здѣсь) | here | |
| земледелец (arch. земледѣлецъ) | farmer | |
И | ||
| и | and | |
| иерей | priest | |
| из (изъ) | [+gen] - from; of; originally born, nee | |
| или | or | |
| имение | estate | |
| имя | name | |
| инвалидный (gen. інвалидной) | injured, disabled | |
| исповедание (gen. исповѣданiя) | confession | |
К | ||
| к (ко, arch. къ) | [+dat] - to | |
| как (arch. какъ) | how | |
| какой (gen. какого, какогѡ; gen. plu. какихъ; instr. какимъ) | which, what | |
| капитан (arch. капитанъ) | captain | |
| кирхшпиль (gen. кирхшпиля) | parish (in some documents from the Baltic region) | |
| кладбище (arch. кладбищѣ) | cemetery | |
| книга | book | |
| когда | when | |
| кой (gen. plu. коихъ) | which | |
| коликократный | how many times; multiple times | |
| колония | colony | |
| команда (gen. команды) | team, unit | |
| который (gen. котораго) | which | |
| крестьянин(arch. крестьянинъ, plu. крестьяне) | peasant | |
| крестьянка | peasant woman | |
| крещение (gen. крещенiя) | baptism | |
| крещённый (fem. s.f. крещена; masc. s.f. крещёнъ) | baptized | |
| ксёндз (arch. ксёндзъ) | priest (Catholic) | |
| кто (acc/gen. кого prep. ком dat. кому instr. кем | who, whom | |
Л | ||
| ли | interrogative particle, indicates that the statement is uncertain or hypothetical | |
| литургия(acc. литургiю) | liturgy | |
| люди (gen. людей) | people | |
| лютеранский (gen. лютеранскаго) | Lutheran | |
М | ||
| мама | mama, mom | |
| мать | mother | |
| местечко (gen. мѣстечка) | village, shtetl (Yiddish) | |
| место | place | |
| месяц(gen. мѣсяца) | month | |
| мещанин (arch. мѣщанинъ, fem. мѣщанка, plu. мѣщане) | petty bourgeois, middle-class | |
| младенец (arch. младенецъ, gen. младенца) | baby | |
| муж | husband | |
| мужик | peasant | |
| мужской | male | |
| мужчина | man | |
| мусульманский | Islamic | |
Н | ||
| на | [+acc] - for [+prep] - on, at | |
| arch. надесять | teen (for example, пятого надесять means fifteenth) | |
| на лицо | present | |
| не | not | |
| невеста (prep. невѣстѣ) | bride, fiancee | |
| невестка | daughter-in-law, sister-in-law (brother's wife) | |
| неграмотный | illiterate | |
| незаконноприжитой | illegitimate (child) | |
| незаконнорождёный | illegitimate (child) | |
| нет | no; there is not | |
| но | but | |
| новобрачный | newlywed | |
| новорождёный | newborn | |
| нотариус | notary | |
| ночь (gen. ночи instr. ночью) | night (at night) | |
| ныне (arch. нынѣ) | now | |
О | ||
| о (об, arch. объ, ѡ) | [+prep] - about | |
| оба | both | |
| область | oblast, region (type of administrative unit) | |
| обрезание (gen. обрѣзанiя) | circumcision | |
| обручение | engagement, betrothal | |
| обряд(arch. обрядъ) | rite | |
| общество | society | |
объявлять/объявить (adv. part. объявляя, past masc. объявил) | to announce (announcing, announced) | |
| округ | okrug, district (type of administrative unit) | |
| оной | this, that, the said (referring back to something previously mentioned) | |
| опекун | guardian | |
| от (arch. отъ, ѿ) | [+gen] - from | |
| отец (gen. отца) | father | |
| от роду | from birth | |
| отставный (gen. отставнаго) | retired | |
| отчество | patronym | |
| офицер (arch. офицеръ) | officer | |
П | ||
| папа | papa, dad | |
| паспорт | passport | |
| перед (пред, arch. предъ) | [+instr] - before, in front of | |
| племянник | nephew | |
| племянница | niece | |
| по | [+dat] - along, by | |
| погребение (arch. погребенїе) | burial | |
| показание | testimony | |
| пол | sex, gender | |
| полковник | colonel | |
| пономарь | sexton | |
| пополудни | afternoon | Time |
| пополуночи | after midnight | Time |
| поручик | lieutenant | |
| посад | settlement | |
| после (arch. послѣ) | [+gen] - after | |
| потомок | descendant | |
| потомственный | hereditary | Family |
| прабабушка | great grandmother | |
| правнук | great grandson | |
| правнучка | great granddaughter | |
| православный (gen. православнаго) | Orthodox | |
| прадедушка | great grandfather | |
| предок | ancestor, forefather | |
| предъявить (past masc. предъявил) | to present (presented) | |
| при | [+prep] - at the time of | |
прибыть (past neut. прибыло) | to arrive (arrived) | |
| присутствие (prep. присутствіи) | presence | |
| приход (gen. прихода) | parish | |
| прихожанин (gen. plu. прихожанъ) | parishioner | |
| причастие (gen. причастiя, причастїѧ) | Communion | |
| протоиерей (arch. протоiерей) | archpriest | |
| псаломщик (arch. псаломщикъ) | acolyte, parish clerk | |
Р | ||
| раввин (arch. раввинъ) | rabbi | |
| разведник (arch. разведникъ) | divorcé This term is not standard, though it appears in a 20th-century document reviewed by our researchers. Although it does not appear in contemporary dictionaries, its meaning is understood from the context. | |
| разведница | divorcée This term is not standard, though it appears in a 20th-century document reviewed by our researchers. Although it does not appear in contemporary dictionaries, its meaning is understood from the context. | |
| развод(dat. разводу) | divorce | |
| район | raion, area (type of administrative unit) | |
| ребёнок | child | |
| реестр | register | |
| ремесло | trade, occupation | |
| Римско-Католический (gen. Римско-Католическаго) | Roman Catholic | |
| родитель(plu. родители, gen. родителей) | parent | |
| родиться (past masc. родился, past fem. родилась, past plu. родились, past arch. родися ) | to be born (was born) | |
| родной (abb. рдной) | native (language, for example) full or biological when referring to family relationships. For example, родной брат means "biological brother" (same parents), while двоюродный брат means "cousin" (literally "second brother") | |
| рождающийся (prep. раждающихся, рождающихъ) | the one who was born | |
| рождение (gen. рожденiя, рожденїѧ) | birth | |
| рядовой | soldier, private (military rank) | |
С | ||
| с (со, arch. съ) | [+gen] - from [+instr] - with | |
| свидетель (gen. plu. свидетелей) | witness | |
| святой (abb. св.; gen. святаго, свѧтагѡ; prep. святомъ) | holy, saint | |
| священник | priest | |
| сделанный | done | |
| сегодня | today | |
| сегодняшний | today (adj.) | |
| сей | this | |
| село (gen. села) | village | |
| семья (plu. семьи) | family | |
| сестра | sister | |
| собор (gen. собора) | cathedral | |
| cовершать (past masc. совершалъ) | to accomplish, complete (accomplished, completed) | |
| cовершаться (3rd person sing. pres. совершается) | to be accomplished or completed (was accomplished, was completed) | |
| солдат | soldier | |
| солдатский (fem. солдатская) | of a soldier | |
| состояться (past neut. состоялось) | to take place (took place) | |
| сочетаться (past plu. сочетались) | to be combined, joined, married (was combined, was joined, was married) | |
| стан (abb. ст.) | stan (type of administrative unit) | |
| супруг (plu. супруговъ) | spouse, husband | |
| супруга | spouse, wife | |
| сын(arch. сынъ, abb. снъ, plu. сыновья) | son | |
Т | ||
| таина | ordinance, mystery | |
| таинство | ordinance, sacrament | Religion |
только (arch. токмѡ, токмо) | only | |
У | ||
| у | [+gen] - at; often use to denote possession | |
| уезд (gen. уѣзда) | uyezd (type of administrative unit) | |
| умереть (past masc. умеръ, past fem. умерла, past plu. умерли) | to die (died) | |
| умерший (gen. умершаго, оумершагѡ) | deceased (often acts as a noun) | |
| унтер-офицер (arch. ундеръ офицеръ) | under officer (category of military rank) | |
| урождённая (fem. gen. урождённой) | originally born, nee | |
| утро(gen. утра, instr. утром) | morning | |
Ф | ||
| фамилия (arch. фамилїѧ) | surname | |
| фельдфебель | feldwebel (rank) | |
Х | ||
| халица (acc. халицу) | halizah (Jewish religious ceremony) | |
| хозяин (arch. хозяинъ) | master, head, host | |
| холостой(s.f. masc. холостъ) | single, unmarried | |
| христианский(arch. христiанскiй) | Christian | |
Ц | ||
| церковь (gen. церкви) | noun - church | |
Ч | ||
| час(gen. часа, gen. plu. часов) | hour (can mean "o'clock" when in the genitive case) | |
| часть | part | |
| чей (dat. чьему) | whose | |
| через (arch. чрезъ) | through | |
| чин | rank | |
| число (gen. числа) | date, number | |
| член | member | |
| что | what | |
Я | ||
| явиться (past masc. явился) | to appear (appeared) | |
Click on the corresponding link below to see other word lists from this tutorial.
Common Heading Transcriptions/Translations
This list is a compilation of entries from our topical word lists. Select a topic from the Genealogical Glossary main page to see more details and examples for each word from the following list.
Additional Resources:
- The FamilySearch Wiki Russian Genealogical Word List is another great resource to consult if you encounter a word you don't recognize.