This week it’s all about words and phrases found in genealogy, family and house history research beginning with the letter J.
At the start of last weeks blog I pointed out that ‘i’ should not be confused with ‘j’ and it is important to note this as ‘i’ and ‘j’ were often used interchangeably although as a general rule ‘j’ would be used as a consonant and ‘i’ as a vowel, with only ‘I’ being used as a capital letter until about the 17th century. Thus, John may be found spelt ‘Iohn’. Conversely ‘j’ would be used instead of ‘i’ where more that one ‘i’ ended a word and when writing in roman numberal i.e. ‘xii’ would be written ‘xij’.
Bearing this is mind, all the following words may be found spelt starting with an ‘I’ in early records.
JACENS – Lying, being, situated
JAM – Mow, at present, already, hitherto
JAMPA – Heath, gorse, furze
JOINTURE – Property settled on a woman at marriage which would become hers on the death of her husband
JONATHAN – An instrument used by smokers to light a pipe
JOSEPH – An ancient riding habit with buttons down to the skirts
JOURNEYMAN – a skilled worker, who has completed an apprenticeship, hired to work on a daily basis
JOVIS (DIES JOVIS)- Thursday
JUDEX – Judge
JUDICIUM – Judgement, statute, right, jurisdiction, suit, trial, court
JUGUM – yoke, a measurement of land
JULIAN CALENDAR – Old style calendar in use in England and Wales before 1752 when new years day fell on Lady Day, the 24th March.
JUNCTUS – Joined
JURAMENTUM – Oath
JURATOR/ORIS – Juror
DE JURE – By rights, lawfully
JURE – Justly, lawfully
JURO – to swear
JURO AD/SUPER – To swear on or by
JURO PRO FIDELITATE – To swear fealty
JUS, JURIS – Law, right, due, privilege
JUS COMMUNE – Common law
JUSSUM – Command, order
JUSTE – Justly
JUSTICIARIUS – Judge, justice
JUSTIFICO – To justify, set right, to bring to justice
JUSTITIA – Sentance, punishment, justice
JUVENCA – Heifer
JUVENCUS – Bullock
JUVENIS – Young, young man
JUXTA – near to, beside, according to
I would love to hear what obscure words and phrases you have found in your research – sarah@spfhhistory.co.uk