There are many terms used in genealogy that are based on Latin. Most are customarily abbreviated and fall into several overlapping kinds: calendar terms, legal terms, reference terms, postnominal initials. The postnominal initials abbreviate honorary titles often appearing after a person’s other names.
| Abbreviation | Latin Word or Phrase | English Translation and Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| a. | annus | year |
| a. | ante | before |
| A.A.C. | anno ante Christum | in the year before Christ |
| A.A.S. | Academiæ Americanæ Socius | Fellow of the American Academy (Academy of Science and Arts) |
| A.B. | artium baccalaureus | bachelor of arts |
| A.C.. | ante Christum | before Christ |
| A.D. | anno Domini | in the year of our Lord |
| ad loc. | ad locum | to the place |
| æt. | ætatis | of age, aged |
| A.H. | anno Hegiræ | in the year of Hegira (flight of Mohammed from Mecca, i.e., 622) |
| A.I. | anno inventionis | in the year of the discovery |
| al. | alia | other things |
| al. | alii | other persons |
| A.L. | anno lucis | in the year of light |
| A.M. | anno mundi | in the year of the world |
| A.M. | Annus mirabilis | the wonderful year (plague and Great Fire of London, i.e., 1666) |
| a.m. | ante meridiem | before noon |
| an. | anno | in the year |
| an. | ante | before |
| ann. | annales | annals |
| ann. | anni | years |
| ap. | apud | according to |
| A.P.C.N. | anno post Christum natum | in the year after the birth of Christ |
| A.P.R.C. | anno post Romam conditam | in the year after the building of Rome, i.e., 753 B.C. |
| A.R.R. | anno regni regis/reginæ | in the year of the king’s, viz., queen’s reign |
| A.R.S.S. | Antiquariorum Regiæ Societatis Socius | Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries |
| A.S. | anno salutis | in the year of salvation |
| a.u. | anno urbis | in the year of the city (Rome, i.e., 753 B.C.) |
| A.U.C. | anno urbis conditæ | in the year of the building of the city (Rome, i.e., 753 B.C.) |
| a.v. | annos vixit | he (or she) lived (so many) years |
| B.A. | baccalaureus artium | bachelor of arts |
| bibl. | bibliotheca | library |
| B.M. | beatæ memoriæ | of blessed memory |
| B.Q. | bene quiescat | may he (or she) repose well |
| B.Sc. | baccalaureus scientiæ | bachelor of science |
| C. | centum | a hundred |
| c. | circa | about |
| cf. | confer | compare |
| circ. | circa | about |
| circ. | circiter | about |
| circ. | circum | about |
| C.M. | chirurgiæ magister | master of surgery |
| con. | conjunx | wife |
| C.P.S. | custos privati sigilli | keeper of the privy seal |
| C.R. | civis Romanus | a Roman citizen |
| C.R. | custos sigilli | keeper of the seal |
| cuj. | cujus | of which, whose |
| d. | denarius | penny |
| D.D. | divinitatis doctor | doctor of divinity |
| del. | delineavit | he (or she) drew it |
| D.F. | defensor fidei | defender of the faith |
| D.Sc. | doctor scientiæ | doctor of science |
| d.s.p. | decessit sine prole | died without issue |
| d.v.p. | decessit vita patris | died during father’s lifetime |
| e.g. | exempli gratia | for example |
| E.M. | Equitum Magister | Master of the Horse |
| et al. | et alibi | and elsewhere |
| et al. | et alii | and others |
| et al. | et aliæ | and others (f.) |
| etc. | et ceteri | and others, and so forth |
| etc. | et cetera | and others, and so forth |
| et seq. | et sequentes | and those that follow |
| et ux. | et uxor | and wife |
| exc. | excudit | he (or she) engraved it |
| F. | filius | son |
| f. | feminina | in the feminine form |
| fac. | factum similis | facsimile, i.e. an exact copy |
| F.D. | fidei defensor | defender of the faith |
| F.D. | fidei defensatrix | defender of the faith (f.) |
| fl. | floruit | florished |
| f.l. | falsa lectio | a false reading |
| flor. | floruit | florished |
| f.r. | folio recto | on the right-hand page (front side of leaf) |
| F.R.S. | Fraternitatis Regiæ Socius | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| f.v. | folio verso | on the left-hand page (back side of leaf) |
| H. | hora | hour |
| h.a. | hoc anno | in this year |
| h.e. | hic est | this is |
| h.e. | hoc est | that is |
| her. | heres | heir |
| H.I. | hic iacet | here lies |
| H.I.S. | hic iacet sepultus | here lies buried |
| h.m. | hoc mense | in this month |
| H.M.P. | hoc monumentum posuit | he (or she) erected this monument |
| H.R.I.P. | hic requiescat in pace | here rests in peace |
| H.S. | hic sepultus | here is buried |
| H.S. | hic situs | here lies |
| H.S.S. | Historiæ Societatis Socius | Fellow of the Historical Society |
| i. | id | that |
| ib. | ibidem | in the same place |
| ibid. | ibidem | in the same place |
| Id. | idem | the same |
| i.e. | id est | that is |
| ign. | ignotus | unknown |
| i.h. | iacet hic | here lies |
| Ill. | illustrissimus | most distinguished |
| imp. | imprimatur | sanction; let it be printed |
| in f. | in fine | at the end |
| inf. | infra | below |
| init. | initio | in the beginning |
| in lim. | in limine | on the threshold, at the outset |
| in loc. | in loco | in its place |
| in loc. cit. | in loco citato | in the place cited |
| in pr. | in principio | in the beginning |
| i. q. | idem quod | the same as |
| J.C. | juris consultus | justice clerk |
| J.C.D. | juris civilis doctor | doctor of civil law |
| J.D. | jurum doctor | doctor of laws |
| J.U.D. | juris utriusque doctor | doctor of both civil and canon law |
| L. | liber | book |
| L. | locus | a place |
| £ | libra | pound (placed before the numeral amount) |
| l. | libra | pound (placed after the numeral amount) |
| L.A.M. | liberalium artium magister | master of the liberal arts |
| L.B. | baccalaureus litterarum | bachelor of letters |
| L.B. | lectori benevolo | to the kind reader |
| lb. | libra | pound(s) |
| L.H.D. | litterarum humaniorum doctor | (approximately) doctor of the more humane letters |
| Lit.Hum. | litteræ humaniores | classics |
| Litt.D. | litterarum doctor | doctor of letters |
| LL.B. | legum baccalaureus | bachelor of laws |
| LL.D. | legum doctor | doctor of laws |
| LL.M. | legum magister | master of laws |
| loc.cit. | loco citato | in the place cited |
| L.S. | locus sigilli | the place of the seal |
| l.s.c. | loco supra citato | in the place above cited |
| £.s.d. | libræ, solidi, denarii | pounds, shillings, pence |
| M. | magister | master |
| m. | masculinis | in the masculine form |
| m. | meridies | noon |
| M.A. | magister artium | master of arts |
| M.B. | medicinæ baccalaureus | bachelor of medicine |
| M.Ch. | magister chirurgiæ | master of surgery |
| M.D. | medicinæ doctor | doctor of medicine |
| m.m. | mutatis mutandis | with the necessary changes |
| m.n. | mutato nomine | the name being changed |
| M.P. | mille passus | 1,000 paces (the Roman mile) |
| MS. | manuscriptum | manuscript |
| MSS. | manuscripta | manuscripts |
| M.S. | memoriæ sacrum | sacred to the memory |
| Mus.B. | musicæ baccalaureus | bachelor of music |
| Mus.D. | musicæ doctor | doctor of music |
| Mus.M. | musicæ magister | master of music |
| N. | Nepos | grandson |
| N. | nomen | name |
| N. | nomina | names |
| n. | natus | born |
| n. | nocte | at night |
| N.B. | nota bene | mark well |
| n.e.i. | non est inventus | he has not been found |
| n.l. | non licet | it is not permitted |
| n.l. | non liquet | it is not clear |
| n.l. | non longe | not far |
| non seq. | non sequitur | it does not follow (logically) |
| ob. | obiit | he (or she) died |
| ob. | obiter | incidentally |
| ob.s.p. | obiit sine prole | he (or she) died without issue |
| o.c. | opere citato | in the work cited |
| O.P. | ordinis prædicatorum | of the order of preachers |
| op. | opus | work |
| op. | opera | works |
| op.cit. | opere citato | in the work cited |
| P. | pater | father |
| p. | post | after |
| p. | primus | first |
| p.a. | per annum | yearly |
| per ann. | per annum | yearly |
| pass. | passim | everywhere |
| percent. | per centum | by the hundred |
| Ph.B. | philosophiæ baccalaureus | bachelor of philosophy |
| Ph.D. | philosophiæ doctor | doctor of philosophy |
| pl. | pluralis | in the plural form |
| P.M. | post mortem | after death |
| p.m. | post meridiem | after noon |
| pnxt. | pinxit | he (or she) painted it |
| P.R.C. | post Romam conditam | after the building of Rome, i.e., 753 B.C. |
| pr.pr. | præter propter | about, nearly |
| pro tem. | pro tempore | for the time being |
| prox. | proximo | in (or of) the next (month) |
| P.S. | postscriptum | postscript |
| P.SS. | postscripta | postscripts |
| q. | quære | inquire |
| q.e. | quod est | which is |
| Q.E.D. | quod erat demonstrandum | which was to be demonstrated |
| Q.E.F. | quod erat faciendum | which was to be done |
| Q.E.I. | quod erat inveniendum | which was to be found out |
| q.m. | quo modo | by what means |
| q.v. | quod vide | which(sg.) see |
| qq.v. | qua vide | which(pl.) see |
| R. | recto | on the right-hand page |
| R.I.P. | resquiescat in pace | may he (or she) rest in peace |
| R.I.P. | resquiescant in pace | may they rest in peace |
| R.P.D. | rerum politicarum doctor | doctor of political science |
| rr. | rarissime | very rarely |
| R.S.S. | Regiæ Societatis Sodalis | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| S. | sepultus | buried |
| S. | situs | lies |
| S. | societas | society |
| S. | socius | fellow |
| S. | sodalis | fellow |
| s. | semi | half |
| s. | solidus | shilling |
| S.A.S. | Societas Antiquariorum Socius | Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries |
| sc. | scilicet | namely |
| sc. | sculpsit | he (or she) carved (or engraved) it |
| Sc.B. | scientiæ baccalaureus | bachelor of science |
| Sc.D. | scientiæ doctor | doctor of science |
| schol. | scholium | a note |
| s.d. | sine die | indefinitely |
| sec. | secundum | according to |
| sec.art. | secundum artem | according to art |
| sec.leg. | secundum legem | according to law |
| sec.nat. | secundum naturam | according to nature (naturally) |
| sec.reg. | secundum regulam | according to rule |
| seq. | sequens | the following (sg.) |
| seq. | sequentes | the following (pl.) |
| seq. | sequentia | the following (neuter pl.) |
| S.H.S. | Societas Historiæ Socius | Fellow of the Historical Society |
| s.h.v. | sub hac voce | under this word |
| s.h.v. | sub hoc verbo | under this word |
| s.l.a.n. | sine loco, anno, vel nomine | without place, date, or name |
| s.l.p. | sine legitima prole | without lawful issue |
| s.m.p. | sine mascula prole | without male issue |
| s.n. | sine nomine | without name |
| s.p. | sine prole | without issue |
| S.P.A.S. | Societatis Philosophiæ Americanæ Socius | Fellow of the American Philosophical Society |
| s.p.s. | sine prole superstite | without surviving issue |
| S.R.I. | Sacrum Romanum Imperium | the Holy Roman Empire |
| S.R.S. | Societatis Regiæ Socius | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| S.R.S. | Societatis Regiæ Sodalis | Fellow of the Royal Society |
| stat. | statim | immediately |
| S.T.B. | sacræ theologiæ baccalaureus | bachelor of theology |
| S.T.D. | sacræ theologiæ doctor | doctor of theology |
| S.T.P. | sacræ theologiæ professor | professor of theology |
| sub. | subaudi | understand, supply |
| sup. | supra | above |
| s.v. | sub voce | under a specified word |
| s.v. | sub verbo | under a specified word |
| t. | tempore | in the time of |
| text.rec. | textus receptus | the recieved text (King James version) |
| U.J.D. | utriusque juris doctor | doctor of both civil and canon law |
| ult. | ultimo | last (month) |
| u.s. | ubi supra | in the place above mentioned |
| ut s. | ut supra | as above |
| ux. | uxor | wife |
| v. | versus | against |
| v. | vide | see |
| v.a. | vixit … annos | lived … years |
| var.lect. | varia lectio | variant reading |
| V.D.M. | Verbi Dei minister | preacher of the Word of God |
| v.g. | verbi gratia | for example |
| viz | videlicet | namely |
| v.l. | varia lectio | a variant reading |
| v.s. | vide supra | see above |
| V.T. | Vetus testamentum | Old Testament |
| vv.ll. | variæ lectiones | variant readings |