ROOTS Genealogical Dictionary
ROOTS
Dictionary of Genealogy & Archaic Terms
[O]
Last Edited:
December 29, 2007
This file contains many of the common "buzzwords", terminology and legal
words found in genealogy work. If you think of any words that should be added to
this list, please notify Randy Jones.
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- OAST HAYRE
- the cloth on the oast above the fires where the hops are dried.
- OATH OF ABJURATION
- sworn statement renouncing a former allegiance
- OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
- an oath in the American colonies during the Revolution requiring
immigrants to swear that they supported the new American government rather
than the King of England
- OB
- [Latin] before - in front of - because of - on account of
- OBIT
- [Latin] died; abbreviation: ob.
- OBITUARY
- a notice, in recent times in a newspaper or journal, announcing the death
of an individual and frequently providing familial and genealogical details
- OBLATE
- a child placed with a religious house with the intent that he would
eventually take vows
- OBOLE
- a half denarius; hapenny
- OCTAVE
- referring to dates, especially feast days, it is the eighth day past the
date, including the date itself
- OCTO
- [Latin] 8
- OF COLOR
- see Colored.
- OFERHYNES
- disobedience
- OLD STYLE DATE
- Certain dates before 1752 are based on the "Old Style" (O.S.) calendar. By
Act of Parliament passed in 1750, the Gregorian
(New Style) calendar replaced the previous one. The day following 2
September 1752, was called 14 September. At the same time the beginning of the
legal year was changed from the 25th of March to 1 January. Many European
countries had adopted the Gregorian calendar as early as 1700. Because of the
resulting confusion, it had become the custom in England and her colonies to
give two dates for the period between 1 January and 25 March, (example: 13
January 1709/10). The day following 24 March 1709/10 was given as 25 March
1710." {Q}
- ONOMASTICS
- use of naming patterns to develop a possible lineage
- ONCE REMOVED
- See "Cousins"
on our website.
- OPPIDO
- [Latin] town
- OR
- [Heraldric; French gold] one of the seven colors
allowed in heraldry -- gold colored and represented in engraving by a white surface
covered with small dots
- ORA
- 1/8 of a mark. Fifteen orae equaled
one pound in the 10th Century.
- ORATOR/ORATRIX
- [Latin] an attorney handles case and legal proceedings but uses the name
orator/oratrix to identify the man or woman that instigated the case and
related the events to him. ie: a wife's personal tale of the actions of her
spouse when no witness was present.
- ORDEAL
- a method of trial whereby the accused is given a physical test, usually
dangerous or painful, only by which if he is successful is he innocent
- ORDEL
- the power to try by ordeal
- ORDINARY
- in addition to to current one meaning "commonplace":
- 1. A dining room or eating house, or house of public entertainment (as
opposed to a house of
private entertainment) where a meal is prepared for all comers,
at a fixed price for the meal, in distinction from one where each dish is
separately charged;
2. A heraldric term which includes one of nine or ten
geometric sshapes
which are in constant use. The bend,
chevron, chief,
cross, fesse,
pale, and saltire are types of ordinaries;
3. A legal term - (Roman Law) An
officer who has original jurisdiction in his own right, and not by deputation.
(b) (Eng. Law) One who has immediate jurisdiction in matters ecclesiastical;
an ecclesiastical judge; also, a deputy of the bishop, or a clergyman
appointed to perform divine service for condemned criminals and assist in
preparing them for death. (c) (Am. Law) A judicial officer, having generally
the powers of a judge of probate or a surrogate.- 4. a bishop of a diocese {W}
- ORPHAN TRAINS
- over the 75 year span of the Orphan Train movement from 1853 to 1928, it
is estimated that between 150,000 and 200,000 "orphan" children in the big
cities of the East were relocated to new homes in the Midwest via the Orphan
Trains. But the term "orphan" is used loosely in many cases. Some children
were true orphans, no parents, no other family to look after them, living on
the streets, sleeping in doorways, fending for themselves by whatever means
necessary. But many of these children had parents.
- ORPIMENT
- yellow dye
- ORWIGE
- outlawed
- OUTFANGTHIEF
- a medieval jurisdictional authority which allowed the holder of the
authority to chase a thief down outside his territory. See also
INFANGTHIEF.
- OVERLAND
- land (such as pastures) which contained
no dwellings and was usually held by freehold
- OXGATE
- a measure of land also known as an bovate.
It was 1/8 of a ploughgate(or
as much land as one ox could plough in a year). An oxgate varied in acreage
from 8 to 18 acres, depending on how arable the land was.
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Sources:
{A}The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third
Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
{B} Black's Law Dictionary, 6th Edition
{D} Dictionary.com
{E} Evans, Barbara Jean. The New A to Zax
{F}The Dictionary of Genealogy by Terrick V H Fitzhugh
{H} History of the Later Roman Empire, Vol.1, J.B. Bury,
1958.
{O}The Oxford English Dictionary
{P} Pepys' diary
{R} Random House Unabridged Dictionary (2006)
{Q} Hinshaw, William Wade, "Encyclopedia of America Quaker Genealogy," (1938,
Rpt., Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994)
{W} Webster's Collegiate Dictionary; Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA,
Inc.
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