Valdres Samband

Special BUDSTIKKEN Pull-Out Section – May 1986

By Betty Rockswold, Genealogy Editor

For those who wish to search the church records of Valdres and other places in Norway, the following lists of words and phrases, compiled by Leland Pederson and used with his permission, should be of great help. Although births, marriages and deaths are quite easy to recognize in church books (and in bygdebøks), there is a wealth of other information that puts the person who does not read Norwegian, in despair. There it all is in front of you and you can’t decipher it. The information below should be of great help.

Aar (àr)= year
adresse = address
ægte (ekte) = legitimate
ægteskab (ekteskap) marriage
ældste (eldste) = eldest
ætatis = age
af (av) = of, from
afgangne (avdøde) = deceased
afrejst = departed
akerbruk = farming
alder = age
alen = medieval land measure
allodial = see 'odel'
almenniger (Sæter or shieling) = pastures, outlying hayfields, rivers, lakes containing fish, which 'allirmenn' (all men) in all farms within a definite wider area had a right to use.
amt (fylke) = county in Norway
anden (annen) = second
anmerkning = miscellaneous
anmerkninger saasom løpenr. i fødselsregisteret = annotation about serial number in the birth register.
arv = inheritance
arwinger = heirs
atboes = estates
avdødes fulle navn = full name of the deceased
Baaret (baret) = carried
bann = announcement of intent, usually 3 banns for marriage
bapt = christened
barn = child
barnets fulle navn = child's full name
barnløs = childless
bedsteforældre = grandparents
begges = both
begravet = buried
beliggende = located
bestefar = grandfather
bestemor = grandmother
bevidner = certificates
bo = live, dwell, reside
Bo = estate
boende = living
bopæl = residing
borgerlige stilling = civil status
broder (bror) = brother
brodersdatter = brother's dtr. (niece)
brodersøn = brother's son (nephew)
brudefolk = bridal couple
brudgommens og brudens full navn = full names of bride and groom
bryllup = wedding
by (bye) = town or village
bygdelag = reunion
børn = child

cautionister = sponsors
Christendoms kundskab = Christian knowledge
confirmeret = confirmed
constabel = gunner
copuleret (gift) = married
copulerede = married

Daab (dàp) = christening
daapsdag = date of baptism
dagicier = laborer
dannemand = farmer
dat (daterad) = dated
datter = daughter
degn = parish clerk
dennes kone = his wife
den Norske Matrikkel = farm register printed in 1890
derboende = living
deres = their
ditto (D) = the same, likewise
dreng (gutt) = boy
død = death
dødes fulde navn og stilling om gift eller ikke og enkemann eller fraskilt = full name of deceased and status. (If married, widowed or divorced)
dødsdatum = date of death
døpt = baptized
døv = deaf
dåp= baptism

efter = after
efterladt = survived by
egen = owneie (eje) = possession, owner, a man renting part of a farm might have the farm surname plus 'eie' indicating he was a tenant on such a farm
eiendom = property, possession
ekte = legitimate
ektemann = husband
ekteskapsbevis = marriage license
ekteskapsdato = marriage date -
1 ste Egteskab = first marriage
2 det Egteskab = second marriage3 die Egteskab - third marriage
eldeste = eldest
elv = river
embede = office, post
ene = alone, by oneself
enhver = any, every
enke = widow
enkemann = widower
Er dødsfallet anmeldt til skifteretten eller lensmann = has the death been reported to the probate court or to the sheriff?

faddere = godfathers, godmothers, sponsors, witnesses
faddernes navn = godparents' names
fader (far) = father
fædrene = paternal, ancestral
fædrenes og sønnernes navne = the fathers' and the sons' names
fæster (festebonde) = leaseholder
farbroder (farbror) = father's brother
farfar = father's father
farmor = father's mother
faster = father's sister (paternal aunt)
fattig = poorfattigblok = alms-box
fattigdom = poverty
ferie = vacation, holiday
fetter = male cousin. See also kusine, søskenbarn, tremenning, slektning
firemenning = third cousin
fogderi = district
folkekirken = the state church
folketellinger = official national census
forældre = parents
foreldrennes fulde navn og borgerlige stilling = full name of parents and their status or position
foreldrenes bopel = residence of parents
forlovernes navn og bopel = names of sponsors and their residence
fosterbarn (pleiebarn) = fosterchild
fra = from, of
fraskilt = divorced
fredag = Friday
fremdeles = still
frue = wife. See kona
fulde (full) = full
full gaard = medieval measure equalled 12 'manadsmatbol'
fulle navn for brudgommens far og brudens far = full names of the father of the bridegroom and bride
fylke (amt) = county in Norway
føderàd = pension paid to owner of estate, farm (after cession to heirs)
føderradskone = pensioner upon the estate
fødested = place of birth
fødselsaar of -sted for brudeparet = birthyear and birthplace of the bride and groom
født = born
født i ekteskap = born in wedlock
født utenfor ekteskap = born out of wedlock
føgende = following
første = first

gaard (gard) = farm in Norway
gaardbeboer = farm owner
gaardbruker = farmer
gaardeier = owner of a house, farm
gaardgutt = heir to a farm
gaardmann (bonde) = freeholder, one who owns a farm