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 | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| ídem, iden, eadem, ejusdem | same, of the same |
| dicho, susodicho | the said |
| infrascrito, infraescrito, infraescripto | undersigned |
| ut supra (Latin) | as above, as stated above (usually refers to the date) |
Date | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| A diez días del corriente mes y año… | On ten days of the current month and year… |
| En quince días del mes de septiembre del corriente año… | On fifteen days of the month of September of the current year… |
| En veinte y seis días del mes de julio próximo pasado... | On twenty and six days of the past month of July... |
| ...que murió el veinticinco del mismo... | ...that died on the twenty-fifth of the same... |
Place | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| En esta villa del Rosario… | In this town of Rosario… |
| En este departamento del Diamante… | In this district of Diamante… |
| En esta (iglesia) parroquial de San Cipriano… | In this parish (church) of San Cipriano... |
| En la iglesia de… | In the church of… |
| En la feligresía de… | In the parish of… |
| En la doctrina de… | In the curacy/parish of… |
| En la curato de… | In the curacy/parish of… |
| En la vicaría de… | In the vicariate of… |
| …vecinos de la parroquia de María Magdalena en el lugar de Cué, concejo de Llanes… | …residents of the parish of María Magdalena in the place of Cué, municipality of Llanes… |
| …todos naturales y vecinos de este departamento… | …(being) all natives and residents of this district… |
| …natural de dicho concejo y vecino de esta… | …native of the said municipality and resident of this (parish/town)... |
Authority | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| el cura | the parish priest |
| el licenciado | the licentiate |
| el párroco | the parson, the parish priest |
| el teniente | the deputy |
| el bachiller | the bachelor (This term refers to the person's academic degree, not his marital status) |
| el vicario | the vicar |
| fray | friar or brother |
| el presbítero | the priest |
| el reverendo padre | the reverend father |
| encargado | in charge |
| con licencia de | with permission of |
| con mi licencia | with my permission |
| ex licentia parochi (Latin) | by license of the parish priest |
| cum venia parochi (Latin) | with permission of the parish priest |
| haciendo oficio de | performing the office of |
| juez eclesiástico | ecclesiastical judge |
| de este lugar y su partido | of this place and its district |
| de esta parroquial y su hijuela | of this parish (church) and its dependent (church) |
Relationships/Legitimacy | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| viudo (que fue) de | widower of |
| viuda (que fue) de | widow of |
| esposo que fue de | who was the husband of… |
| mujer que fue de | who was the wife of… |
| hijo legítimo | legitimate son |
| hijo natural | natural-born son |
| hijo ilegítimo | illegitimate son |
| hijo bastardo | illegitimate son of known father |
| hijo espurio | illegitimate son of unknown father |
| hijo adulterino | illegitimate son |
| hijo expuesto | abandoned child |
| hijo expósito | abandoned child |
| hijo de la iglesia | abandoned child |
| hijo de padres no conocidos | son of unknown parents |
| hijo de padre no conocido | son of unknown father |
Witnesses/Godparents | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| siendo testigos... | being witnesses... |
| fueron testigos (presenciales)... | the (present/eye) witnesses were... |
| Fueron (sus) padrinos… | The godparents were… |
| sostuvieron al niño | the child was held by… (godparents were…) |
| tuvo/tuvieron al niño | the child was held by… (the godfather/godparents was/were…) |
Certification | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| Y por ser verdad lo firmo. | In witness thereof, I sign it. |
| Para que conste lo firmé con el expresado señor cura. | In witness thereof, I signed it with the said parish priest. |
| Para constancia lo firmo. | To certify it, I sign it. |
| En constancia lo firmé. | In witness thereof, I signed it. |
Christening | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| hice los exorcismos | I baptized (I exorcised) |
| hizo los exorcismos | He baptized (He exorcised) |
| exorcicé a | I baptized (I exorcised) |
| bauticé solemnemente a | I solemnly baptized |
| puse los santos óleos y el sagrado crisma a | I put the holy oil and the sacred chrism to |
| bauticé sub conditione (Latin) | I baptized conditionally |
| bauticé condicionalmente | I baptized conditionally |
| puse por nombre… | I named … |
Warning (Christening) | |
| Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| a quienes advertí | whom I advised (of) |
| a quienes dije | whom I told |
| a quienes hice saber | whom I informed (of) |
| a quienes instruí sobre | whom I instructed concerning |
| el parentesco espiritual | the spiritual relationship |
| sus obligaciones de enseñarle la doctrina cristiana | their obligation(s) to teach him or her the Christian doctrine |
| y demás obligaciones contraídas | and other contracted obligations |
| que contraían | that they contracted |
| que contrajeron | that they contracted |
| que han contraído | that they have contracted |
Marriage | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| habiendo corrido todas las diligencias conciliares | having taken care of all the conciliar measures |
| habiendo precedido todo lo dispuesto por el Santo Concilio de Trento | having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent |
| habiendo precedido todo lo que manda el Santo Concilio Tridentino | having preceded everything required by the Holy Council of Trent |
| previas las disposiciones conciliares | foregoing the conciliar arrangements |
| conforme al Concilio de Trento | consistent with the Council of Trent |
| según manda el Concilio de Trento | as ordered by the Council of Trent |
| amonesté en tres días festivos | I published (banns) on three holy days |
| habiéndose amonestado en tres días festivos | having published (banns) on three holy days |
| después de leídas las tres conciliares proclamas | after reading the three conciliar banns |
| inter missarum solemnia (Latin) | in solemn mass |
| sin haber resultado ningún impedimento | without any impediment (to marriage) resulting |
| y no habiendo resultado impedimento alguno | and no impediment (to marriage) having resulted |
| no resultó ningún impedimento | no impediment (to marriage) resulted |
| no resultando impedimento alguno | no impediment (to marriage) resulting |
| confesados | (having) confessed |
| dispuestos sacramentalmente | sacramentally disposed |
| se dispusieron sacramentalmente | sacramentally disposed |
| examinados en la doctrina cristiana | examined in Christian doctrine |
| instruidos en la doctrina cristiana | instructed in Christian doctrine |
| estando hábiles en doctrina cristiana | being able in Christian doctrine |
| de los pretendientes | of the candidates |
| di las manos (a) | I married |
| desposé (a) | I married |
| casé y velé (a) | I married and veiled (=blessed) |
| in facie ecclesiae (Latin) | in the presence of the congregation |
| por palabras de presente | using words in present tense (performing an actual marriage as opposed to a promise to marry) |
| según el Ritual Romano | according to Rituale Romanum (a book prescribing the form of Catholic ceremonies) |
| según orden de nuestra Santa Madre iglesia | according to the order of our Holy Mother Church |
| que constituyen el verdadero y legítimo matrimonio | that constitute true and legitimate marriage |
| que hacen verdadero y legítimo matrimonio | that constitute true and legitimate marriage |
| asistí al matrimonio de | I was present at the marriage of |
| asistió al matrimonio de | he was present at the marriage of |
| con el mutuo consentimiento | with the mutual consent |
| con su mutuo consentimiento | with their mutual consent |
| oídos sus mutuos consentimientos | (having) heard their mutual consent |
Burial | |
Spanish Phrase | Meaning |
| di sepultura a | I buried |
| enterré a | I buried |
| fue sepultado el cadáver de | the body of ... was buried |
| misa de cuerpo presente | a mass said while the corpse of the deceased is present in the church |
| recibió los sacramentos de eucaristía, penitencia y extremaunción | he/she received the sacraments of Eucharist, penitence and extreme unction |
| mandó enterrarse en la iglesia parroquial | he/she requested to be buried in the parish church |
| mandó seis misas por su ánima | he/she requested six masses for his soul |
| no dejó testamento | he/she did not leave a will |
| no testó | he/she did not leave a will |
| no testó por ser pobre de solemnidad | he/she did not leave a will because of his/her destitute condition/extreme poverty |
| dejó testamento ante el escribano… | left his/her last will and testament before the notary… |
| nombró como su albacea a | named … as his/her executor |
| nombró como único y universal heredero a… | named … as sole and universal heir |
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