Language and Genealogy

When it comes to research, we encounter many different languages that we dont understand. If your just starting out that might mean its technical terminology. For more experienced genealogists this might mean performing research in a foreign language. Much like starting genealogy, delving into foreign research can seem like a daunting and confusing task. To date I have conducted research in English, French, Latin, and Gaelic. Each time I attempted a researching in a new language, I found myself becoming increasingly more comfortable and proficient. 

Leverage Technology

For languages that we have a vague familiarity with, it is much easier to being this journey. As someone who has deep roots in Quebec, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I was forced to recall what I had attempted (and failed) to learn many years ago in school. Lucky for me, there is technology that can help bridge the language barrier. 

Depending on what you are researching, you will realize that there are many re-occurring terms and phrases. I like to keep a list so I can quickly reference them when I am researching. 

Anyone who has used Google Translate knows that it does have its limitations. It is important to keep in mind the translations are often rough and that one word in one language could mean multiple words in another. Make sure that when you are researching that you dont let a translation program take the place of actually understanding its basic conventions. 

Keep a List

The phrases that I keep on my list vary with what I am researching. I like to start by translating the column headers if there are any. This is helpful because it gives me an idea of what kind of information I will find in the document. Next I begin to skim through for words that look important. Generally these are words that occur directly before a name. Another approach is brainstorming words that are related to the headings. I group these words into categories to make them easier to find later on. In the past I have had categories related to time (day, month, year), relationships (marital and familial), occupations, and location. In some cases I have also found that keeping track of the name variations within that language to be helpful. For example, Latin changes the spelling of given and middle names but not the surname. 

Understanding Conventions

As I mentioned previously, it is important to understand how names and words change with a language. Do men and women speak it differently? Do children and adults speak it differently? Does one word have multiple meanings? 

The later of these cases is likely the one that has the greatest impact on our research. For example, when I was researching in Gaelic I uncovered a story about a man that 'lifted' a house. Immediately the image of a man using his herculean strength to hoist a house above his head came into my mind. It sounded like something out of folklore. Surely that could not have been true? When I began to further research the language I learned that 'lift' and 'build' meant the same thing in Gaelic. My ancestor had not lifted a house above his head, rather he had built a house. 

This is just one example of how Google translate can often mislead us when it comes to translating a story. If something sounds too good to believe or farfetched at the best of times, dig deeper!