Russian Vocabulary: General Word List
Below is a list of terms found in Russian records. Each word is generally listed first in its modern form, followed by relevant variants, including some with archaic spelling. If the word you are looking for is not here, consider looking at the FamilySearch Wiki Russian Genealogical Word List. If you're still struggling to find the right word, it may be a person's or place name. Follow the guidelines listed under Practical Suggestions and use other resources on our site such as those found on the Names page.
Using the keyboard commands Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac) can be helpful when searching through word lists. Simply type the first few letters or a part of the word you know, and the search function will highlight any words in the list that contain that sequence of letters.
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 | Examples |
| акт | document, record, certificate | 
(arch. актъ) |
| благородный | noble | 
(arch. gen. plu. благородныхъ) |
| благородство | nobility | 
|
| болезнь (arch. болѣзнь) | disease | 
(arch. болѣзнь) |
| бывший | former | 
|
| ведомость | register, record, list | 
|
| взрослый | adult | 
|
| винословие | reason (excuse) | 
(arch. instr. винословїемъ) |
| владелец | bearer, owner, proprietor | 
|
| властный | authoritative | 
|
| выписка | extract, record | 
|
| глава (dat. главѣ) | head (of household) | 
|
| господин (gen. господина) | sir, lord, master of an estate | 
(gen. господина) |
| гражданин | citizen (male) | 
(gen. гражданина) |
| гражданка | citizen (female) | 
|
| грамота | literacy | 
|
| грамотный | literate | 
|
| дворянин | nobleman | 
(arch. дворянинъ) |
| дворянка | noblewoman | 
|
| дворянство | nobility | 
|
| действие (arch. действо, arch. gen. дѣйства) | action | 
(arch. gen. дѣйства) |
| дело | case, matter, business | 
(arch. gen. plu. дѣлъ) |
| договор | agreement | 
|
| домашний (plu. домашнiе) | household (can act as an adjective or noun) | 
(arch. plu. домашнiе) |
| духовный (plu. духовные) | spiritual, soul | 
(plu. духовные) |
| житель | inhabitant, occupant | 
|
| запись | record, recording, registration | 
(nom. plu. записи) |
| звание (arch. званїе) | social status, rank, title | 
(arch. званїе) |
| земледелец (arch. земледѣлецъ) | farmer | 
(arch. земледѣлецъ) |
| книга | book | 
|
| коликократный | how many times; multiple times | 
Когда? гдѣ? кто? и по (prep.) коликократномъ оглашенiи? - When? where? who? and with how many marriage banns? |
| крестьянин(arch. крестьянинъ, plu. крестьяне) | peasant | 
(arch. крестьянинъ) 
(plu. крестьяне) |
| крестьянка | peasant woman | 
|
| мещанин (arch. мѣщанинъ, fem. мѣщанка, plu. мѣщане) | petty bourgeois, middle-class | 
(arch. мѣщанинъ) 
(arch. fem. мѣщанка) |
| мужик | peasant | — |
| arch. надесять | teen (for example, пятого надесять means fifteenth) | 
archaic втораго надесять - twelfth |
| на лицо | present | 
|
| неграмотный | illiterate | — |
| нотариус | notary | 
|
| общество | society | 
|
| паспорт | passport | 
(dat. паспорту) |
| погребение (arch. погребенїе) | burial | 
(arch. погребенїе) |
| показание | testimony | 
(gen. показанїѧ) |
| пол | sex, gender | 
(gen. пола) |
| присутствие (prep. присутствіи) | presence | 
(arch. prep. присутствіи) |
| реестр | register | 
(dat. реестру) |
| ремесло | trade, occupation | — |
| сделанный | done | 
(s.f. plu. сдѣланы) |
| только (arch. токмѡ, токмо) | only | 
только 
(arch. токмѡ) |
| хозяин (arch. хозяинъ) | master, head, host | 
(arch. хозяинъ) |
| часть | part | 
(gen. части) |
| чин | rank | 
(arch. чин) |
| член | member | 
(arch. член) |
To view translations of specific words and phrases you may encounter in a certain document type, visit the corresponding Document Types page of this tutorial.
- Ilya Repin, Preparation for the exam, 1864, Oil on canvas. Wikimedia Commons.(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Repin_studying_exam.jpg : accessed 15 August 2024). This image is in the public domain.