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Easily decipher your old records with our practical guide to the 400 abbreviations and acronyms used in genealogy.
When you start genealogy research, one of the first challenges is reading old records. Between sometimes difficult handwriting to decipher and old terms, researchers also have to deal with a multitude of acronyms and abbreviations. These were commonly used to save space and speed up the writing of documents.
Whether in parish registers, civil status records, censuses, or notarial documents, these abbreviations frequently appear. Not understanding them can hinder or distort the interpretation of a record. This guide offers a list of abbreviations and acronyms classified by theme to help you better decipher these precious documents.
Learning to read and interpret genealogy abbreviations and acronyms is an essential skill for any ancestry researcher. By understanding these codes, you will gain efficiency and avoid interpretation errors. This guide will help you progress more confidently in discovering your family history.
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