ROOT & GENEALOGY
Glossary
- Record
- A document recording an event or transaction. Distinguish the original, its copy and an index describing it.
- Archive reference
- An identifier assigned by a repository to a documentary unit, locating a volume or file.
- Fonds
- Records originating from a creator. Their context explains why a document exists.
- Index
- A tool referring to records or pages. It may contain omissions or errors; check the record.
- Parentage
- A link between a person and parents. Specify its nature where known, separating adoptive and biological relationships.
- Same-name person
- A person sharing another person’s name. A name alone cannot merge two profiles.
- Notarial original
- The original of a notarial act kept by the notary or repository. Repertories may help locate it.
- Palaeography
- Study and reading of historical handwriting. Compare letters written by the same hand.
- Census
- A population survey at a reference date. Information and inclusion rules vary.
- Derivative source
- A copy, transcription or summary of another source. Check transmission and return to an accessible original.
- GEDCOM
- Genealogical data exchange format. Check version and media during software transfers.
- Marginal annotation
- A note in a record margin, possibly referring to another event. Check its presence and wording on the image.
- Provenance
- Origin and known history of a record or object, distinct from its content and present location.
- Jurisdiction
- Territory and remit of an authority at a given date, guiding identification of record creator and repository.
- OCR
- Optical character recognition: automatic text extraction from an image. Check the output, especially names and numbers.
- Place name
- Name of a place. Retaining original spelling and documented variants helps distinguish places sharing a name.
- Negative search
- Unsuccessful search within stated source, period, place and method. It does not establish universal absence.
- Persistent identifier
- Reference intended to identify a resource over time, such as an ARK. It complements the archive reference without guaranteeing service availability.
- Collateral relative
- A relative outside the direct ascending or descending line, such as a sibling, aunt or cousin.
- Informant
- Person providing information for a record. Their identity and relationship help assess what they could know.
- Marriage banns
- Notice of an intended marriage according to local practice. Alone it does not prove the ceremony occurred.
- Registration date
- Date an event is entered in a register; it may differ from the event date.
- Birth surname
- Family name documented at birth, retained as a search key when other forms appear later.
- Master file
- Reference digital copy kept apart from working and sharing versions; edits are made on separate copies.
- SHA-256 checksum
- Value computed from file contents to check copy integrity. It does not certify historical truth.
- Synchronisation
- Keeping files consistent across locations. It can propagate changes and deletions and differs from independent backup.
- Documentary caption
- Text describing an image with source, date and identification limits. Hypotheses must remain explicit.
- Front and back
- Both sides of a document or print; the back may preserve writing, a stamp or evidence absent from the main image.
- Passenger manifest
- List of people recorded for a journey; fields and coverage depend on the collection.
- Estate inventory
- Description of estate assets; named people and their roles must be read in the record.
- Guardianship
- Responsibility for a person defined by a decision and context; does not itself prove adoption.
- Parcel
- Unit identified in a land or cadastral system; its number and boundaries may change.
- Normalised date
- Consistent representation of a date, retained separately from original wording with its uncertainty.
- Swiss place of origin
- Swiss family research reference distinct from residence or birthplace; check municipality and canton.
- Age in completed years
- Number of birthdays already passed on a given date. An accurate age defines a birth interval rather than a single year.
- Birth interval
- Period compatible with dated information under explicit assumptions. Calculated bounds certify neither the reported age nor the person’s identity.
- Henkikirjat
- Finnish population lists created for taxation and later administration. Check period, inclusion and volume arrangement; variations alone do not prove migration.