R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

French
Genealogical Word List
   

Table of Contents
Language Characteristics
Additional Resources
Key Words
General Word List
     
Numbers
Dates And Time

NUMBERS


In some genealogical sources, numbers are written out. This is especially true with dates. The following list gives the cardinal (1, 2, 3) and the ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd) versions of each number. Dates are usually written in ordinal form. Ordinal numbers are made by adding ième to the cardinal form of a number. If the number ends in an e, drop the e before adding ième.

From 60 to 99, the French count by twenties rather than by tens. Thus, 70 in French is sixty-ten, and 71 is sixty-eleven. The number 80 is four-twentie;, 81 is four-twenties-one; 91 is four-twenties-eleven; and so on through 99, which is four-twenties-nineteen. In some areas, however, you will see the older style of 70 (septante), 80 (octante or huitante), and 90 (nonante).

  Cardinal   Ordinal
1 un 1st premier
2 deux 2nd deuxième
3 trois 3rd troisième
4 quatre 4th quatrième
5 cinq 5th cinquième
6 six 6th sixième
7 sept 7th septième
8 huit 8th huitième
9 neuf 9th neuvième
10 dix 10th dixième
11 onze 11th onzième
12 douze 12th douzième
13 treize 13th treizième
14 quatorze 14th quatorzième
15 quinze 15th quinzième
16 seize 16th seizième
17 dix-sept 17th dix-septième
18 dix-huit 18th dix-huitième
19 dix-neuf 19th dix-neuvième
20 vingt 20th vingtième
21 vingt-et-un 21st vingt-et-unième
22 vingt-deux 22nd vingt-deuxième
23 vingt-trois 23rd vingt-troisième
24 vingt-quatre 24th vingt-quatrième
25 vingt-cinq 25th vingt-cinquième
26 vingt-six 26th vingt-sixième
27 vingt-sept 27th vingt-septième
28 vingt-huit 28th vingt-huitième
29 vingt-neuf 29th vingt-neuvième
30 trente 30th trentième
31 trente-et-un 31st trente-et-unième
40 quarante 40th quarantième
50 cinquante 50th cinquantième
60 soixante 60th soixantième
70 soixante-dix, 70th soixante-dixième
  septante   septantième
71 soixante-onze, 71st soixante-onzième
  septante-un   septante-et-unième
80 quatre-vingt(s) 80th quatre-vingtième
  octante   octantième
  huitante   huitantième
90 quatre-vingt-dix 90th quatre-vingt-dixième
  nonante   nonantième
99 quatre-vingt-dix- 99th quatre-vingt-dix-
  neuf, nonante-   neuvième, nonante-
  neuf   neuvième
100 cent 100th centième
1000 mil, mille 1000th millième


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DATES AND TIME


In French records, dates are often written out. For example:

Le vingt-trois mars mil sept cent soixante dix-neuf [on the twenty-third day of March, in the year one thousand seven hundred sixty and nineteen (1779)]

To understand French dates, use the following lists as well as the preceding “Numbers” section.


Months

English French
January janvier
February février
March mars
April avril
May mai
June juin
July juillet
August août
September septembre, 7bre
October octobre, 8bre
November novembre, 9bre
December décembre, 10bre, Xbre

During the years 1792 to 1806, the French used a unique calendar that related to the founding of the French Republic. It included the following months:

vendémiaire brumaire frimaire
nivôse pluviôse ventôse
germinal floréal prairial
messidor thermidor fructidor

These month names cannot be translated because they do not correspond to the months we know as January to December. See the French Republican Calendar Research Outline (34046).


Days of the Week

English French
Sunday dimanche
Monday lundi
Tuesday mardi
Wednesday mercredi
Thursday jeudi
Friday vendredi
Saturday samedi


Times of the Day

In French birth and death records, the registrar often indicated the exact time of day when the birth or death occurred. This is usually written out.

French English
à cinq heures at 5 o’clock
au matin in the morning
au soir in the evening
après-demain the day after tomorrow
après-midi afternoon
avant-veille two days before
avant-hier day before yesterday
demain tomorrow
du matin in the morning, a.m.
du soir in the evening, p.m.
heure hour
hier yesterday
hier soir yesterday evening
hier au soir yesterday evening
jour day
lendemain next day
matin morning
midi noon
minuit midnight
nuit night
soir evening
surlendemain two days later
veille previous evening

Paper publication: Second edition 1997. English approval: 4/97.

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