Adams County Wisconsin Genealogy

TRANSLATIONS & DEFINITIONS

OF WORDS FOUND ON TOMBSTONES

Since I keep running across foreign words on tombstones, I thought it would
be helpful if there were a short list of what those words meant in English.
With the help of some generous people listed at the end of this page, and
some dictionaries, here it is. I'm not fluent in all of these languages, so
if you spot an error please let me know. 


  

  
ENGLISH
GERMAN
BOHEMIAN
POLISH
DANISH
NORWEGIAN
SWEDISH
FRENCH
born
geboren
nar/narozen
urodzony
fodt
fodt
fodd
ne(e)
died
gestorben
um/zemrel
umarl
dod
dod
dott
decede
mother
mutter
matka
matka
moder
mor
moder
mere
father
vater
otek/ojciec
ojciec
fader
far
fader
pere
parents
eltern
rodice
rodzice
foraeldre
foreldre
foraldrar
pere et mere
husband
ehemann/mann
manzel/muz
mae onek
mand
ektemann/mann
make/man
epoux/mari
son
sohn
syn
syn/potomek
son
son/sonn
son
fils

wife
ehefrau/frau
zena/zona
zona
kone
kone/hustru
maka
epouse
daughter
tochter
dcera/dcerka
cora/corka
datter
datter
dotter
fille
child
kind/kinder
dite
dziecko
barn
barn
barn/unge
enfant

age
alter
stari/vek
wiek
alder
alder
alder
age
month
monat
mesic/mesice
miesiac
maaned
maander/mander
manad
mois
day
tag
dny/ze dne
dzien
dag
dag
dag
jour
year
jahr
rok
rok
ar
aar/ar
ar
an/annee



Boxtomb     
Solid sides surrounding and topping an above ground grave, usually for one person.

Cenotaph    
An empty grave, but instead there is a tombstone placed in memory of someone who is buried 
elsewhere, such as for a soldier who did not return from a war; allows the family a 
memorial they can visit.

Columbarium
A vault of other facility with recessed space in the walls, the cremains (ashes) are 
placed there as an alternative to burial of cremains or keeping the decedent's ashes 
in private homes.

Crypt  
Underground vault used as a burial place.

Decedent
The person who died.
 
Epitaph 
The inscription on a tombstone, describes the person(s) resting there and possibly 
relationships to others.

Footstone   
Smaller flat stone, often set flush with the surrounding turf at the foot end of the 
grave. In modern use, it often contains military information and is paid for by the 
Federal government, and may be metal or stone. Some footstones are attached to upright 
monuments and may be on the back of the tombstone as you read the front of it.

Headstone
The upright tombstones set at the head end of the grave.

Mausoleum
An above ground facility with spaces for the interment of many bodies. Sometimes combined 
with a columbarium; modern mausoleums are large enough to accomodate funeral services 
within the building.

Sexton
The caretaker of the cemetery; refers to either the records custodian or the groundskeeper.

Slabstone
Large flat stone placed flush with the surrounding turf over the burial of the coffin. 
If the slabstone is elevated and has 4 facing sides it is a boxtomb. 
  

Sources: Jackie Hufschmid, Norwegian language
Travlang's Translating Dictionaries (Site recommended by Jerry Hartnett)
Czech months of the Year from: The Illuminator, a newsletter published by Zion Genealogical 
Society, Zion IL, Vol. 10 No. 2, 1994, page 6