Words of Bygone Times

Language is not stagnant. Words continue to change meaning and form. In genealogy, it is not uncommon to come across words that are unfamiliar or seem strange in the context used. Listed below are some words that fall into these categories:

"The late.” I came across an article in the newspaper that said, “Your editor had lunch the other day with the late editor of this newspaper.” No, he did not eat lunch with a dead man. “The late” should have been “the former.” He had lunch with his predecessor.

“Stove up” or “stove in.” It means “worn out.” The word “stave” means to “break up a cask into staves”, which is where the expression comes from.

“Verisimilitude.” The appearance of being real or true, similarity to the truth, an air of reality.

“Et ux” or “et uxor”. This means “and wife” and comes from Latin.

“Relect,” also from the Latin, it means “widow of.” In genealogy, these two terms will tell you whether the husband is still alive or has passed on.

“Intermarried with.” To marry each other or to marry within a group. To become connected with others via marriage.

“Et al” or “et alia.” Again, Latin, it means “and others.” This term is often used when a lot of people are involved, such as in a lawsuit, and they don’t want to repeat all the names every time. When you see this term you should look up the original document in the court case, which will list all the names involved.

The word “german”, in lower case means having the same parents or grandparents. Parallel cousin and cross-cousin. Now we just call them cousins. It’s hard enough to figure out all the different degrees and removeds without all the other names. It can be difficult to master the intricacies of cousin relationships.

“Fortnight.” A period of two weeks. “It was the second jacket and pair of shoes (Peter Rabbit) had lost in a fortnight.” Don’t lose your jacket and shoes or you won’t get to have bread and milk and blackberries like Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail.

“Sennight.” Similar to the above. A week.

Medical terms have changed over the years. Here are some: “Consumption.” Tuberculosis. “Dropsy.” Swelling caused by fluid retention, or edema.

“Grippe.” Flu.

“Milk sickness.” Poisoning by drinking milk from cows that have eaten the white snakeroot plant.

“Bright’s disease.” Kidney disease. “Brain fever.” Inflammation of the brain, as in encephalitis, meningitis and cerebritis.

“Lockjaw.” Tetanus.

And some legal terms, handy for a genealogist to know:

“Testator.” A man who wrote a will. “Testatrix.” A woman who wrote a will. “Testate.” If the deceased did testate, there was a will.

“Intestate.” There was no will.

“Executor”/”executors.” A man or men named in the will to carry out the deceased’s wishes.

“Executrix”/”executrices.” A woman or women named in the will to carry out the deceased’s wishes.

“Administrator”/”administrators.” If there was no will, a man or men is appointed by the court to administer the will.

“Administratrix”/ ”Administratices.” If there was no will, a woman or women is appointed by the court to administer the will.

“Conversation.” Lifestyle.

And some obsolete occupations:

“Cutler.” One who makes, repairs or sells knives or other cutting instruments.

“Landgrave.” A medieval German nobleman who had jurisdiction over a particular territory. “Mercer.” A dealer in textiles.

“Hostler,” or “ostler:” A man who tended to horses, especially at an inn.

“Scrivener.” A scribe.

“Tinker.” A travelling mender of metal household utensils.

“Gandy dancer.” A slang term for early railroad workers who laid and maintained tracks. They were also called section hands.

“Knocker upper.” A person whose job was to wake sleeping people so they could get to work on time. One would think this would be in the days before alarm clocks, but this profession still continued in parts of industrial England until the 1970s. Some mornings such a helper would be good to have.

“Caddy butcher.” One who processed and sold horse meat, which was a cheaper alternative to beef.

“Leech collector.” One who gathered leeches for doctors to use on their patients. Those who did this job used the legs of animals or their own legs to lure the leeches from the creeks and rivers.

“Phrenologist.” One who studied the human brain based on the size and shape of a person’s head. It was believed that the shape of a person’s head determined his intelligence. The phrenologist used measuring devices to prove such theories.

“Herb strewer.” One who placed fresh herbs around a castle to reduce odors.

“Toad doctor.” One who used toads to treat medical ailments. It was believed that toads had healing properties. They used dried powdered toads to soothe inflammation and relieve headaches and skin conditions.

“Drysalter.” One who provided dry chemicals and dyes used in salted, tinned or dried foods.

“Daguerreotypist.” The first photographers captured photos using a daguerreotype, the first form of a camera.

“Resurrectionist.” A polite term for grave robber, who dug up dead bodies and delivered them to doctors or medical colleges for dissection.

“Tosher.” Another unpleasant job. The toshers searched for pieces of bones, metal scraps, coins, or whatever valuable items they could find in a city’s sewer system. This became illegal in 1840.

“Mud clerk.” Workers who performed basic maintenance tasks, cleaning, repairs and ran errands on steamboats during the Civil War. The title came from helping free the boats from the mud when they sank.

“Wheelwright.” A man who designed and built wooden wheels for farm equipment and steam-powered machines.

These are only a few of the words and terms that have passed out of use or have changed their meanings today. Knowing how these were used in the past can help us as we research our ancestors’ lives. If you want to research your family history in Marshall County, check out our extensive library.