French Translation Resources

Dictionaries

• Contemporary language:
  • Word Reference (https://www.wordreference.com/) offers a good selection of words as well as example sentences.
• 18th and 19th century:
  • Lexilogos (https://www.lexilogos.com/francais_moderne.htm) allows you to search a number of eighteenth and nineteenth century dictionaries at once.
  • Google Books (books.google.com) allows you to search bilingual dictionaries from the 1700s and 1800s. Great options for fashion terminology and more.
• Middle French:
  • Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (http://www.atilf.fr/dmf/) connects the form of the language used between 1330-1500 to contemporary French.

Glossaries

General Glossaries:

• “A French Genealogy Glossary” from The French Genealogy Blog includes legal terms and more.
• Archives Départementales de La Manche offers help with pre-1789 legal terms. French language only.
• “French Genealogical Word List” from FamilySearch includes words commonly found in birth, death, and marriage records.
• Généalogistes de France explain legal terms as part of their glossary . French language only.
• “Les Métiers de nos Ancêtres” explains the titles used for older occupations. French language only.
• “Old Occupations in New-France and Canada” helps explain the terms used in New France to explain occupations.
• “Vieux Métiers” offers a list of 17th and 18th century occupations. French language only.

Voyageur Terminology:

• https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/nwc/gloss.htm
• “Voyageurs,” The Canadian Encyclopedia.
• “Life of a Voyageur,” Hudson Bay’s Company History Foundation

Paleography Practice

• “Alphabet Chart,” ScriptTutorial from BYU offers alphabet charts you can compare to your sample documents.

Translation Guides

Abbreviations:

Dates:

Vital Records

• When did Quebec start requiring vital records?
  • The required civil recording of vital records began in 1994. Genealogy Quebec has a great blog post on this subject.
  • Civil marriage was allowed beginning in 1968.

Land Records

• Who holds land records?
  • While land registries (extent since the early 19^th century) may trace current ownership, land transactions – or deeds – are part of the records of the notary and date back centuries earlier.
    • To find records, you’ll need to know the name of the notary:
      • For Québec, Robert J. Quintin, The Notaries of French-Canada, 1626-1900.

Language History:

• La Langue Française au Québec traces the history of the French language in Quebec.