German Words with English Translations
Diseases, Occupations, Military, Land Terms
Diseases and Causes of Death
| Abortus / Abtreibung - abortion | Haisentzündung - throat infection |
| Abszess - abscess | Haisschwindsuch - throat congestion |
| Alter - age, old age | Hirnentzüng - brain infection |
| Altersschwache - weakness of old age | Hitziges Fieber, Kopfhtizig - brain fever |
| Aussatz - leprosy | Husten - cough |
| Ausserer Schaden - external damage | Influenze, Grippe - influenza |
| Auszehrung - consumption, wasting away | Innerliche Krankheit - internal disease |
| Bandwurm - tapeworm | Ischias - sciatica (hip joint problems) |
| Beulenpest - bubonic plague | Keuchhusten - whooping cough |
| Blätterrose - shingles | Kindbettfieber - childbed fever |
| Blinddarm - appendicitis | Kinderpocken - chicken pox |
| Blutfluss, Blutlauf, Blutgang - hemorrhage | Knockenfrass - bone disease |
| Bräune - quinsy, angina | Knockenkrebs - bone cancer |
| Brand am Fuss - gangrene on the foot | Kolik - dysentery |
| Brechruhr - scholera | Kopfwasser - hydrocephalus - fluid on the brain |
| Bruchschaden - hernia | Krampfe - cramps, convulsions |
| Brustenzündung, Brustfieber - pleurisy, inflamation of the chest | Kratze - scabies |
| Brustkrämpf - cramps, spasms, convulsions | Krebs - cancer |
| Brustwassersucht - dropsy of the chest | Kropf - goiter |
| Cholera - Cholera | Langwierige Krankheit - prolonged illness |
| Durchfall - diarrhea | Lungenentzundung - pneumonia |
| Eiterbeule - abscess | Lungenkatarrh, sucht, lähmung - pulmonary pneumonia |
| Entkräftung - weakening, debilitation, exhaustion | Magenkatarrh - gastritis |
| Epilepsie - epilepsy | Magenschwäche - stomach disease |
| Fehlgeburt - miscarriage | Masern - measles |
| Faulfieber - putrid fever | Milzverhärtung - anthrax |
| Fieber - fever | Nervenfieber - nervous fever |
| Fleckfieber - typhoid fever | Nesselwurn - tapeworm |
| Flechtenkrankheit - dry scab | Pedechien - typhotic fever |
| Flecktyphus - typhoid fever | Pest - plague |
| Frühgeburt - premature birth | Pocken - pox |
| Gehirnschlag - cerebral apoplexy | Röude - dry scab |
| Gelbscucht - jaundice | Rothein - German measles |
| Gelenkrheumatismus - arthritis | Ruhr - dysentery |
| Geschwurst - swelling or tumor, goiter | Scharlachfieber - scarlet fever |
| Geschwur im Hals - ulcer in throat | Schlaganfall - cerebral apoplexy |
| Gesichtsrose - shingles | Schleimfieber - mucous fever |
| Gicht - arthritis | Schwachsinn - feebleminded |
| Gliederstoptung - apoplexy | Schwamme - fungus |
| Gürtelrose - shingles | Schwindsucht - consumption |
Occupations / Beruf
| Ackermann - small farmer Adeliger or Edelmann - nobleman Amtmann - senior clerk of civil service Amtsbezirk - area of jurisdiction Amtsgericht - district court Arbeitsmann - laborer, non-farm worker Arzt - physician Aufseher - supervisor Auslander - foreigner Auswander - emigrant Arzt - physician Bauer - modern term after about 1850 for middle-sized farmer (500 Morgen) Baumgartner - gardener Beamter - official Bede - tax Bergmann - miner Bierbrauer or Biersieder - beer brewer Böttcher - cooper - a barrel (or cask) maker Briefbote or Briefträger- mailman Buchdrucker - printer Büttel - court official Büdner - cottager Buttner - cooper Büdner - very small farmer Bürger - citizen Bürgermeister - mayor Dachdecker - roof tiler Diener - servant Dienerin - maid servant Deputant - land laborer paid in (Deputat) like grain, potatoes, lodging Eingepfarrte Dörfer - villages belonging to a church-district. Einlieger - a laborer who lived on the farm Einwohner (pre 1850) - resident (living in that place) Emphyteut (pre 1850) - tenant on royal Amt land (West Prussia only) Erbpächter - hereditary farmers Feldmesser - surveyor Fischer - fisherman Flaschenmacher - bottle maker Fleischer - butcher Förster - forest ranger Fuhrmann - coachman, wagoner Fremder - stranger Gärtner - gardener Gästwirt - innkeeper Gaukler - vagabond, minstrel, magician Geistlicher - clergyman Gemeinde - town, village or community Gerber - tanner Gesell - journeyman Gevälter or Gevatterin - Godfather Glockner - sexton, bell ringer Graf - count or earl Greis - old man Grenadier - infantryman Grobsschmied - blacksmith Gross-Herzog - grand duke Gutsbesitzer - modern term after about 1850 for large estate farmer Hakenbuedner - store owner/tenant selling supplies displayed on hooks on walls or ceiling Halbbauer - a farmer with a smaller amount of land than a Bauer Hammerschmied - blacksmith Händler - trader, merchant Handwerker - craftsman Hausmeister - caretaker Hebamme - midwife Herzog - duke Hide - about 40 acres of land Hirtin - herder Hoeker - same as Hakenbuedner Hofmeister - a foreman (kept payrolls, hired seasonal workers, and oversaw the work done) Hufen - about 80 acres of land Hufenbauern - full owners of a farm Hufenmeister - a collecter of land rent Imker - beekeeper Inwohner - inhabitant Instfrau - single female worker Instmann - single worker Jungfer - old maid Junggesellen - bachelorKätner or Katner - a day worker Kanter - singer Kaufmann - merchant Kerkermeister - jailer Kessler - boilerman | Kirchenschoffe - church council Kneckt - servant Koch - cook Kossat - a small farmer, with no horses Korbplechter - basket maker or basket weaver Kossäten Gärtner - small farmers or land cottagers Krüger - tenant of inn, pub or pharmacy owned and licensed by king, noble or landlord Krugpächter - same as Krüger Kuhirt - cowherder Kuhirtin - female cowherder Kupferschmied - coppersmith Küster - sexton Kutscher - coachman Landmann - farmer Landstreicher - tramp Laufer - messenger Lehrer - teacher, educator Lehrling - apprentice Leiermann - organ grinder Magd - maid servant Nachbar - member of group (Nachbarschaft) leasing land from landlord Magister - schoolmaster Maier - overseer or painter Mälzer - beer distiller Mauerer - mason Metzger - butcher Müller - miller Mundel - orphan Musiker - musician Musketier - musketeer, infantry soldier Nachtwachter - night watchman Nadler - needle maker Nagelschmied - nailsmith Ochsenknecht - cow herder Pachter - lessee, one who leases land Pfarrer - minister Pfiefer - piper Probst - administrator of the law Puppenmacher - doll maker Richter - judge Ritter - knight Rittergutsbesitzer - owner of a large medieval estate farm Sattier - saddle maker Schäenker or Schankwart - same as KrügerSchöffen - the court Schifter - sailor Schlosser - locksmith Schneider - taylor Schreiner - cabinet maker, joiner Schulz - the mayor Schuster - shoe maker Seiler - rope maker Siedler - settler Silberschmied - silver smith Soldat - soldier Standesamt - registry office Stellmacher - wheelwright Steuereinnehmer - tax collector Taufpate - Godfather Taufpatin - Godmother Taufpaten - Godparents Tagelöhner - land laborer earning daily wage in kind (Deputat), some cash Topfer - potter Trabant - foot soldier Traeger - pallbearer Träxl - wood turner Traiteur, Trakteur - master cook Traubenweber - cloth weave Trautgesell(e) - trusted journeyman Trautherr - trusted master Trautmann - trusted man Traexl, Traxler - wood turner Trechsler - wood turner Trimmer - freight hauler Trissler - treasurer Trödler - peddler Uhrmacher - clock maker Wagner - wagon maker Weber - weaver Wehmutter - midwife Wirt - innkeeper Zeidler - bee keeper Zeigler - brick maker Zigeuner - gipsy Zimmermann - carpenter Zuckerbäcker - candy maker |
Military Terms
Armeekorps - Army Corps
Beulaubler Grenadier Instmann - Infantryman on furlough
Bezirkskommando - district military office
Dragoon - Cavalry - horsemen soldiers
Dragoner - Calvary man
Ersatzkompanie - replacement company (a place to go after a leave for illness, etc.)
Eskadron - Squadron
Fussrupe - Infantry
Grenadier - Grenadier, infantryman
Infanterist - Infantry men
Invalider Dragone - a retired Calvary man
Kavallerist - a Cavalry man, soldiers on horses
Kommando - command post
Landesschützen - elderly soldiers, a type of infantry
Landwehr - territorial army
Militär - military
Musikus - trumpeter
Sanitäts-Kompanie - medical company
Sekonde-leutnant - Second Leutenant
Soldat - soldier
Unteroffizier - lower officer
Zerstörer - a type of battleship
Zerstöer Geschwader - a marine squadron
Land Terms
Grundbuch - land registry records
Kataster - register of propery showing value and ownership for taxation
Kataster - register of propery showing value and ownership for taxation
Bauern - farmers in the village
Vollbauer - full farmer
Halbbauer - half farmer
Kossäthen - farmers of the village
Käthner - small farmer with limited holdings
Büdner - has only a house and garden
Deciphering Old German Script
Many members were able to enjoy Sarah Litzer's excellent presentation about Old German Script. Although it was not recorded, she did provide links and a bibliography.
BEST BEGINNER BOOKS:
Bentz, Edna M. If I Can You Can Decipher Germanic Records. ©1982 (any edition!): Edna M. Bentz, 13139 Old West Ave., San Diego, CA 92129.
Heisey, John. German for Genealogy. Indianapolis, Indiana, 1985.
Mashey, Anne B. A Guide to Olde German Handwriting of the Mid-1800s. (No other information available)
EXPERT’S “BIBLE": Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents. Roger P. Minert. 2001. 182 pages.
USEFUL LINKS:
A great little website for practicing reading the old script is found here:
http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Sutterlin.htm
There is also a link from the above page to the following page:
http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Fraktur1.htm
where you will find a similar “tutorial” in the Fraktur or Gothic typeface.
ONLINE DICTIONARY:
dict.leo.org -- but remember that this will only give you modern translations, for the most part.