This list is a collection over time of words found in Swedish church books, as an aid in transcribing and translating those genealogical records. Examples of a word’s usage are given where helpful or interesting.
If there are two spellings in an entry, the first is usually the older.
Plurals and definite article forms are indicated in parentheses following the English.
The letters å, ä, and ö are distinct letters, and are filed in that order after z. Note that “aa” is a variant of “å”, and thus is filed after z.
If you don’t find a word in the list alphabetically, try the “search” tool on your keyboard, as an adjective etc. may be defined under the noun it modifies.
Please feel free to offer corrections, alternative translations, elaborations, etc. in the comments at the end of each section!
I have included links to my sources for the more-obscure or difficult definitions and/or to fuller definitions. Thanks also to members of the SWEDEN list at RootsWeb for their help!
— Jeanne Smith
Links to the other parts of the word list:
A-G
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Updated 21 December 2017
anno, a:o, a. = year (Latin)
absens, abs. = absent (Latin)
absolvera, abs. = (to) absolve (Latin) the penance for the illegitimate birth was performed
admitterad, adm. = admitted
afgång, afg. = decease, depart to, departure
afgådt, also used sometimes for “resigned”
afliden, avliden, afl., avl. = (to) expire, die (afliden, the deceased)
“afl. utan confirm”, death not confirmed
afskedade, afsk. = discharged, resigned
afskrift, afskr. = transcript
afvittring, avvittring = assignment (of an inheritance); the division of inheritance had to be done before a widow or widower could re-marry
“caverar för afwittningen“, “cavera” (from Latin “cavere” = bail, surety) to guarantee, in this case the division of inheritance, by putting up bail money
andra, 2dra = second
andtäppa = dyspnea, difficulty in breathing
angafs = alleged, accused (reported to be)
“barnfader angafs Jan Persson”, (the) child’s father is reported to be Jan Persson
ante nuptius, a.n. = before marriage (Latin), usually referring to an illegitimate child
anmärkning, anm. = remark, annotation
anständigt = respectable
arbetare, arb. = worker, laborer (arbetaren = the worker/laborer)
arbetskarl = laborer, journeyman
arbetsbetyg, arb. bet. = work permit (certificate allowing looking for work in another parish)
arf, arv = inheritance, patrimony
arfvinge, arvinge = heir
arfskifte, arvskifte = distribution of inheritance
arrendator, arrend. = tenant farmer, leaseholder
attest = certificate, testimony, attestation
“utan attest”, without a certificate (e.g., a moving-out certificate)
avtyning = languish
avvitring
“caverar för afwittningen”
backstugesittare, backst. = person in a rural area who lived on someone else’s land, at the landowner’s discretion, or on the commons in a small cottage or hut
compare torpare, who had a lease agreement to use a plot of land
barn = child, children
barnhus = orphanage
“barnhusflicka”, girl from the orphanage
“barnhusgossen”, the boy from the orphanage
barnkräfta = ulcerative stomatitis, “child cancer”
see also likmask
barnsbörd = childbirth
“i följd af Barnbörd” , [in] consequence of childbirth
barnsbörd convulsioner = convulsions as a result of childbirth
barnsbörd förblödning = bleeding as a result of childbirth
barns hiertsprång = children’s epilepsy, convulsions
barnsjuka = children’s disease
“okänd barnsjuka”, unknown children’s disease
barnsäng = childbirth (lit. “child-bed”)
“modren dog uti sin barnsäng”, the mother died in [her] childbirth
“följd af Barnsäng”, [in] consequence of childbed
begravd = buried
“begrofs i tysthet”, buried in silence (quietly, without ceremony): this usually signifies a burial without ceremony or bell-tolls, after sunset, and in a remote part of the church-yard or in some cases outside the church-yard. This kind of ignominious burial was for suicides (either actual suicides or those who the local priest decided had lived an unchristian life thereby squandering the opportunity for heavenly redemption) or for criminals.
behållning = remainder, balance
bekräftas = confirmation of an emergency baptism (see nöddöp)
“bekräftadt af Lundqvist 27/8”, confirmed by Lundqvist 27 August
benbrott = fracture
benröts-skador = osteomyelitis
bergmästare = mine master or foreman
bergslag = region abounding in mines; mountain district
bergsman = miner
berömligt = commendable
besittningsrätt = right of possession
beskedligt = modest, unassuming
betyg = certificate
bevis = proof, testimony; certificate, attest; confirmation; voucher
bevistat (läs)förhör = present at household examination (clerical survey)
bifall = permission
skriftligt bifall, written permission
närvarande bifallet, the permission given in person
bitning = bitten by an animal
bland annat, bl. a. = among other things
blifoande = to come, to be
blifoande hustru, wife-to-be
blodbrist = anemia
blodflöd = hemorrhage
blodhostning = hemoptysis
see also förblödning
blodsot = dysentery
see also rödsot
blodstörtning = pulmonary hemorrhage
blodsår = bleeding sore
blåsesten = bladder stone
blåsutslag = erysipelas
bokförare = bookkeeper, clerk
bokhållare = bookkeeper
bomärke, bumerke = house-sign
bonde, bond., b. = farmer, peasant (bonden = the farmer)
see also frälsebonde, kronobonde, landbonde, skattebonde
bonddräng = farm-hand
borgerligt äktenskap = civil marriage
broder, bror = brother
brock, bråck = hernia
“inspärrat brock”, obstructed/blocked hernia (inspärrade = locked in, confined)
brud = bride (bruden, the bride)
brudgum = bridegroom (brudgummen, the bridegroom)
brukare, br. = user, employer; farmer, tenant
bruksegare = factory manager; factory inspector
brukspatron(en), bruks patron = the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron
bråddöd = sudden death
bräcklighet = frailty
“ålderdoms bräcklighet”, the frailty of old age
brännsiuka, brännsjuka, brännesiuka, brännesjuka = high fever
“hetsig siukdom och brännsiuka”, sudden illness and high fever
“hetsig feber, brännesiuka”, sudden fever, high fever
brännskada = burns
“svår brännskada”, severe burns
brännsår = burn
bröstfeber = pneumonia
see also håll och styng, lungsot
bröstplågor = chest/breast pains
bröstsiuka, bröstsjuka = pneumonia
buk-ref, bukref = stomach complaint
see also colik och förstoppning, magflen, magsjuka, magsvårighet
bulnader = abscess
see also bölder, rötbölder, rosen, kallbrand, sår
byggmästare = builder
bölder = abscess
see also sår, bulnader, bölder, rosen, kallbrand
bänklängd = pew lists
bär barnet, b. b. = carried the child at christening
susc., susceptor/susceptrix, the godparent who held the child at christening
cantor = organist, choir director
cautionister, caut. = witness, co-signer
charta belopp, chartæ-belopp = stamp amount, a tax paid at each marriage, ostensibly a fee for the stamped paper used for the banns
charta sigillata = lit. “stamp paper” (Latin), a tax paid at each marriage, as a fee for the stamped paper used for the banns
cholera asiatica, kolera asiatica = Asiatic cholera
cholera nostras = “domestic cholera”, usually a typhoid fever or another disease caused by bacteria salmonella
Christendomen = Christian knowledge
“oförståndig i Christendomen”, unwise (unlearned?) in Christian knowledge
Christeligt, kristlig = Christian
cognatus = related (Latin)
colique, colik = colic
see also bukref, förstoppning, magflen
conjugata = married (Latin)
convulsioner = convulsions and cramps of limbs
see also fallandesot
copulatus, cop. = married, marriage (Latin)
copulerad, cop. = married
crono, cr. = pertaining to the Crown
crono hem, cr.h. = Crown-owned home
Decembris, 10bris = (Latin) December
derstädes = in this place
“som föddes derstädes” = who [was] born in this place
diarrhé, diarrhoea = diarrhea
see also utsot, rödsot, durklopp
Dopförrättare = baptismal officiants
Dopsedel = baptismal certificate
also dopattest
dotter = daughter
dragsiuka, dragsjuka = ergot poisoning causing cramps and convulsion
drunknade = drowned
drunkning = (a) drowning
durklopp = diarrhea
see also utsot, rödsot
döde = died
“döde af okänd händelse”, died of an unknown cause/event
“döde af starka drycker”, died of strong drink
“fundne döde på marken”, found dead on the ground
dödfunnen = found dead
döpa = to baptize (döptes, past tense passive; döp, simple past tense)
ejusdem = of the same (Latin)
eldvakta = fire guard, one who looks after the fire
enfaldig = simple, stupid (not usually in a judgemental way, but as in mentally disabled)
“något enfaldig”, somewhat simple
“högst enfaldig”, exceedingly stupid
enke = widow (enken, the widow)
“då varande Enkan”, the present widow
fallandesot = epilepsy (lit. falling sickness)
feber = fever
“febrar af alla slag”, fever of all kinds
fistlar = fistula
fjerdingsman = under-bailiff of a härad (hundred, an administrative district)
flussfeber = catarrhic fever, inflammation of the respiratory canals
fläckfeber, fläcktyfus = typhus
folio = (Latin for “leaf”) refers to a “spread”, i.e. the left and right sides having the same pagination (page numbers)
“page” or “sida” usually refers to that number in the same volume; “folio” usually means that number in another book in the same time period (e.g. “f.214” in book AI:16C leads to page 214 in book AI:16B)
framlidne = (the) late
“framl. Anders Andersson”, the late Anders Andersson
frälsebonde = tenant farmer on the land of a member of the nobility
fråssa, frossa = malaria
see also älta
frusen till döds = frozen to death
furirskytt = [senior] corporal rifleman
fältfeber, fältsjuka = “battlefield fever”, “battlefield disease”, usually typhus
fästehjonen = the betrothed people (i.e., couple)
föddes på nyt = born again, i.e., baptized
födelse = birth (födelsen, the birth)
“dog omedelbart efter födelsen” = died immediately after the birth
födelselängd = birth record
“födelselängden svårläst”, birth record difficult to read
“födelselängden saknas”, birth record missing
förblödning = bleeding to death
see also blodhostning
fördelstagare = generally, an elderly person or couple who handed over his/their farm to an adult child, making up a contract for the benefits etc. that the child would give the parent(s) in compensation
note that the meaning differed in different areas of the country
Förenta Stater = United States (Förenta Staterna = the United States)
förgiftning = poisoning
förlamning = paralysation
förqväfd = see qväfd
förre = former (den förre, the former)
“f.d. [före detta] Hammarsmed”
“Den förre bl. Enkl. i 1843 Febr. och den sedn. Ea. 1842 13/5”
förstoppning = constipation
see also bukref, colik, magflen
försvarligt = justifiable
gemensamma = joint, (in) common
“Gemensamma Dotter Johanna Maria,” their daughter together, Johanna Maria (i.e., the husband’s and wife’s daughter as distinct from their own children from previous marriages)
gesäll = journeyman
gickt, gikt, gigt = gout
giftoman = the person responsible for the bride (the one who “gives her away”)
“Brudens vägnar närvarande Husbond Mr. Eric Kvarnström vid Nedre Nyhammar. Ingen närmare giftoman”, no closer guardian
gjuteri arbetare = foundry worker
godkänt, godkändt = approved
grufarbetare, gruvarbetare = miner (grufarbetaren, the miner)
gudfruktigt = God-fearing
gul-sot, gulsot = jaundice (lit. “gold/yellow sickness”)
gången = time
“första gången”, the first time
“andra gången, 2dra gången”, the second time
A Bluestocking Knits 
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