You will often come across Latin phrases on gravestones and in early documents. Here is a guide to translation.
| a.a.s. |
died in the 'stated
year' of his/her age (anno aetitis suae) |
| ab
incunabulis |
from infancy |
| ablutus |
christening |
| abortivus |
premature
birth |
| aet |
of age, aged (aetatis) |
| aetat |
of age, aged (aetatis) |
| aetatis |
of age, aged (Bae,
aet, aetat) |
| altera
die |
on
the next day |
| ambo |
stranger,
foreigner |
| anno
aetitis suae |
died in the 'stated
year' of his/her age (a.a.s.) |
| anno
domini |
in
the year of our Year |
| anno
incarnationis |
in
the year (since/of) the incarnation of the Lord |
| annus
bissextus (bissextilis) |
leap
year |
| anonyma |
stillborn
daughter |
| anonymus |
stillborn
son |
| ante
meridiem |
before
noon (a.m.) |
| anti,
ante |
before |
| Bae |
of age, aged (aetatis) |
| banni |
marriage
banns |
| baptismi |
christening |
| baptizatus |
christening |
| biduum |
space
of two days, two-day period |
| c. |
about (circa) |
| ca. |
about (circa) |
| circa |
about (c. or ca.) |
| cognatus |
natus -(adjective)
related by blood; (noun) a relative or kinsman |
| cognomen |
name,
surname |
| conjuncti |
marriage |
| conjus |
husband |
| conjux |
wife |
| consors |
wife |
| copulati |
marriage |
| copulatio |
marriage |
| cras |
tomorrow |
| d.s.p. |
died without issue (decessit
sine prole legitima) |
| d.s.p.l. |
died without
legitimate issue (decessit sine prole mascula supesita) |
| d.s.p.m.s. |
died without
surviving male issue (decessit sine prole mascula supersita) |
| d.s.p.s. |
died without
surviving issue (decessit sine prole supersita) |
| d.v.m. |
died in the lifetime
of his mother (decessit vita matris) |
| d.v.p. |
died in the lifetime
of his father (decessit vita patris) |
| decessit |
death |
| decessit
sine prole legitima |
died without issue (d.s.p.) |
| decessit
sine prole mascula supersita |
died without
surviving male issue (d.s.p.m.s.) |
| decessit
sine prole mascula supesita |
died without
legitimate issue (d.s.p.l.) |
| decessit
sine prole supersita |
died without
surviving issue (d.s.p.s.) |
| decessit
vita matris |
died in the lifetime
of his mother (d.v.m.) |
| decessit
vita patris |
died in the lifetime
of his father (d.v.p.) |
| decessus |
death |
| defunctus |
death |
| denatus |
death |
| denuntiationes |
marriage
banns |
| die
sequenti |
on
the following day |
| die
vero |
this
very day |
| ejustdem
die |
of
the same day |
| eo
tempore |
at
this time |
| eodem
anno |
in
the same year |
| eodem
die |
on
the same day |
| eodem
mense |
in
the same month |
| et
al |
and other (et alia) |
| et
alia |
and other (et al) |
| et
seq. |
and the following (et
sequens, et sequentes, et sequentia) |
| et
sequens |
and the following (et
seq.) |
| et
sequentes |
and the following (et
seq.) |
| et
sequentia |
and the following (et
seq.) |
| et
ux. |
and wife (et uxor) |
| et
uxor |
and wife (et ux.) |
| femina |
wife |
| ff. |
on the (following)
pages (folilis) |
| filia
(daughter of) |
child |
| filius
(son of) |
child |
| folilis |
on the (following)
pages (ff.) |
| fugit
hora |
hours
are fleeting, time flies |
| genitores |
parents |
| genitus |
birth |
| H.L.S. |
here lies buried (hic
lacet sepultus) |
| hic
lacet sepultus |
here lies buried (H.L.S.) |
| hodie |
today |
| humantio |
burial |
| humantus |
burial |
| ibid. |
in the same place (ibidem) |
| ibidem |
in the same place
(ibid.) |
| ifans |
child |
| inst. |
present month (instans) |
| instans |
present month (inst.) |
| lautus |
christening |
| ligati |
marriage |
| loc.
cit |
in the place cited
(loco citato) |
| loco
citato |
in the place cited
(loc. cit) |
| long
tempore |
for
a long time |
| lustratio |
christening |
| mane |
in
the morning |
| marita |
wife |
| mariti |
marriage |
| maritus |
husband |
| martimonium |
marriage |
| mater |
mother |
| Memento
mori |
remember
death |
| meridie |
noon |
| mors |
death |
| mortis |
death |
| mortutuus |
death |
| mulier |
wife |
| natales |
birth |
| nati |
birth |
| natus |
birth |
| nocte |
at
night |
| nomen |
name,
given name |
| nudius
terius |
three
days earlier |
| nunc
dies terius |
three
days earlier |
| nunc
temporis |
of
the present time |
| nupti |
marriage |
| obiit |
death |
| obitus |
death |
| op.
cit |
in the work cited (opere
citato) |
| opere
citato |
in the work cited
(op. cit) |
| oriundus |
birth |
| ortus |
birth |
| parentes |
parents |
| pater |
father |
| perendi |
day
after tomorrow |
| peritus |
death |
| plutus |
christening |
| pomerid |
after
noon (p.m.) |
| post
meridiem |
after
noon (p.m.) |
| postridie |
on
the day after, a day later |
| pridie |
the
day before |
| pro
tempore |
for
(at) the time |
| proclamationes |
marriage
banns |
| proles |
child |
| puer |
child |
| purgatus |
christening |
| relict. |
widow or widower |
| relicta |
widow |
| relictus |
widower |
| renatus |
christening |
| sepulti |
burial |
| sepulutus |
burial |
| sic |
so thus (inserted in
brackets after a word or quotation, to indicate that it has been
accurately copied even though the writer believes it is questionable or
inaccurate) |
| sponsa |
wife |
| sponsati |
marriage |
| sponsus |
husband |
| Tempus
erat |
time
is gone; time has run out |
| triduum |
three
day period |
| tunc
temporis |
of
former time |
| ultimo |
late, often seen
referring to the previous month. (utl.) |
| ult. |
late, often seen
referring to the previous month. (ultimo) |
| ux. |
wife (uxor or vs) |
| uxor |
wife |
| uxor |
wife (ux. or vs -) |
| vespere |
in
the evening |
| videlicet |
namely (vz.) |
| vidua |
widow |
| viduas |
widower |
| vir |
husband |
| vs |
wife (uxor or ux.) |
| vxor |
wife |
| vz. |
namely (videlicet) |
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