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GLOSSARY of SOME COMMON WORDS and TERMS as used in Croatian vital records.

NOTE: Most of this information comes from old church records. Therefore, some terms may not be the same as those used today. Also different regions of Croatia used different terms. Italian was used only along the Adriatic coast.

Contributors to this list (so far):
Carole Allen (from records of the Zagreb area)
Tom Ninkovich (from records of the Dubrovnik area)

Please send additions and corrections to our attention.
 word or phrase English meaning language examples
7bre September Italian 1, 2
8bre October Italian 1, 2
9bre November Italian 1, 2
I z"ena first wife Croatian 1
II z"ena second wife Croatian 1
agle, ag'le, agla, ag'la
(contraction for agricoltore)		 peasant Italian 1
agricoltore
agricole		 peasant, farmer Italian 1
amm: con,
am: con		 married with Italian  
ando went Latin?  
avendo having Italian?  
baka grandmother Croatian
battezatto baptized Italian 1
bez oca fatherless Croatian
blizanac, dvostruk twin Croatian
brat brother Croatian
bratic' cousin Croatian
c"etvorci quadruplets Croatian
col = col il "with the" as in
col naviga = with the mariners		 Latin?
congiunti married Italian 1
crkva church Croatian  
dan day Croatian
detto also known as Latin
djec"ak boy Croatian
djed grandfather Croatian
djevojka girl Croatian
domiciliato, dom. residing (in) Italian 1
dvostruk, blizanac twin Croatian
espurio, esp., spurio adopted child Italian 1
figlia daughter Italian 1
figlio son Italian 1
godina year Croatian
id as above ?  
illegittimo illegitimate Italian 1
jak uncle Croatian
kc'i daughter Croatian
kum godfather,
also: best man		 Croatian
kuma godmother
also: maid (matron) or honor		 Croatian
legittimo legitimate Italian 1
levatrice privata private midwife ? 1
loro figlia their daughter Italian 1
loro figlio their son Italian 1
majka mother Croatian
marit: con married with Italian 1
matic"na knjiga parish book Croatian  
mjesec month Croatian
mlado young Croatian
moglia wife Italian 1, 2
mulan orphan Croatian  
muz" husband Croatian  
nahod (m.), nahodica (f.) foundling, orphan Croatian 1, 2
natosolo single birth Italian 1
nec'ak nephew Croatian
nec'akinja niece Croatian
neudata unmarried Croatian
nezakonita, nezakoniti illegitimate Croatian
nezakonito illegitimate Croatian 1
ostavljena, ostaviti supr. surviving spouse Croatian
otac father Croatian
oz"enjen (male), udata (fem.) married Croatian
p: = pokojni of deceased Croatian 1
parrocchia parish Italian 1
pokojni of deseased Croatian
preminuo died Italian?  
preudati marry again Croatian
prole (male) issue, child Italian?  
punac wife's father Croatian
punica wife's mother Croatian
quondam, q. of late Latin 1
relicta widow Italian?  
sat hour Croatian
seljac"e peasant Croatian
serve servant Italian 1
sestra sister Croatian
snaha daughter-in-law Croatian
sposato married Italian  
spurio, esp., espurio
(see espureo)		 adopted Italian  
stric uncle (father's brother) Croatian
strina aunt (wife of
father's brother)		 Croatian
suddetto as above,
already mentioned		 Italian
suo figlio his son Italian 1
suprug husband Croatian
supruga wife Croatian
svekar husband's father Croatian
svekrva husband's mother Croatian
tetka aunt (sister of
mother or father)		 Croatian
trojci triplets Croatian
tud'i stranger (orphan) Croatian  
u svijetu out in the world,
abroad		 Croatian 1
u voy voyaging, sailing Croatian  
udata married (woman) Croatian  
udata (fem.), oz"enjen (male) married Croatian
udover widower Croatian
udovica widow Croatian
ujak uncle (mother's brother) Croatian
ujna aunt (wife of
mother's brother)		 Croatian
uxor wife Latin  
valictam viduam surviving widow Latin  
xbre December Italian 1, 2
z"ena wife Croatian 1, 2
z"upa church district Croatian  
z"upni ured church office Croatian  
zakonita, zakoniti legitimate Croatian 1
zet son-in-law Croatian