Latin Language and Script:

Sample Documents.

A Sample from Payerne, Switzerland, 11 feb and 03 mar 1442, showing typical use of abbreviations.

This sample shows typical abbreviations in a relatively clear script. How many abbreviations can you find?

Notes: We counted 164 abbreviated words (some words contained two different abbreviation marks) out of a total of 299 words. (We counted "and" and "etcetera" as words, as well as the components of the dates — note the abbreviation marks in these words!) So, in a real example, we find many more abbreviations than the "every third word" figure that our teachers used to impress us with how significant abbreviations were in Latin script. Rather than 33% of words abbreviated, this example shows 55%. This example is a page from a notarial register (Roletus de Montagniaco, notary working in the vicinity of Payerne, ACV Dp 67, fol. 212v). At this time, the year was computed locally from the Annunciation, March 25, so the year would be 1443 by the modern calendar.

Transcription: the abbreviated words are shown in italics, with additional notes as necessary, line by line. Each abbreviation is numbered with a superscript to help you count them!

  1. Petrus dictus1 Buribel de Montagniaco2 vendit et3 quiescit4 (? the script is not very clear, but since vendit is the present tense, so should this word be also, the phrase meaning "sells and quitclaims") perpetuo5
  2. pro6 se et7 suis heredibus8 (ablative plural) Johanni9 (dative case, Petrus is selling something to Johannes) Gindroz de Montagniaco10 Villa presenti11
  3. ementi et recipienti pro12 se et13 suis heredibus14 duos (accusative case, this is what is being sold, a "cense" of 2 sols, 4 deniers) solidos15 (from solidus, solidi, a gold coin) et
  4. quatuor denarios16 (from denarius, denarii, a coin) Lausannenses (adjective, accusative plural, but it is equally possible the notary intended the noun Lausanne, gentive case) bonorum17 census18 quos sibi debet et19 solvere20
  5. consuevit21 (from consuesco, to be accustomed to, the phrase means "that he owes and has customarily paid") singulis22 annis23 in festo beati24 Andree Apostolis25 (word crossed out here)
  6. cum omni26 jure actione27 ratione28 et29 dominio30 dicti31 census32 secundum33 bonos
  7. usus et consuetudines34 de Montagniaco35 idem Johannes36 emptor racione37 (ablative, meaning "by reason of")
  8. unius38 morcelli (lined out: terre situs) prati situs39 in fenagio de Montagniaco40
  9. Villa in Layaz juxta41 pratum42 Petri Collon ab oriente43 et pascuum44
  10. publicam45 (abbreviated puca — if the word were publica, it would have been written puca) a borea46 et terram47 dicti48 emptoris49 a vento. Item50, et51 dictum52
  11. pratum53 pro54 quo dictus55 census56 debetur57, Cum fondis58 (variant of fundus, ablative plural) juribus59 etcetera60,
  12. facta61 est dicta62 venditio pro63 triginta solidis64 (preposition pro takes the ablative case) bone65 monete66
  13. predictum67 venditoris68 a dicto69 emptorio70 habitens71 etcetera72 f...73 etcetera74
  14. promittens75 idem venditor pro76 se et77 suis heredibus78 juramento79 suo ad
  15. sanctam80 dei evvangeliam81 corporaliter82 prestito83 et84 suo obligationis85 bonorum86
  16. suorum87 quorumcunque88 predicti89 venditri eidem emptoris90 perpetuo91
  17. manutenere92 guerentire93 et94 deffendere95 pacifice et96
  18. quiete contra97 omnes98 in omni99 judicio et extra100 suis propres101
  19. missiones102 et103 exceptiones104 renunciationes105 etcetera106 juris107 etcetera108 laudata109 est
  20. xima 110 die mensis111 februarii Anno domini112 mo 113 iiiic 114 xliido 115.
  21. (In the margin: ... per116 me [Claudium] de [laz Bret]onerit [commissa]rium ...)
  22. Fiat reemptio perpetua117 (the abbreviation sign is the "flattened a" but with a flourish — the same notary also writes this word with a simpler retroflex stroke originating from the flattened a, or with no extra flourish at all) pro118 dicto119 precio120 dum sibi melius
  23. placuerit etcetera121 promittens122 etcetera123 renunciationis124 etcetera125 laudata126
  24. est ut supra127.
  25. (In the margin: [Leva]ta est [per] Claudi[um] de laz Bretonerit commissarium.)
  26. Johannes128 dictus129 Forneir alias130 Levet de Leschieres debet
  27. causa131 justi mutui habenti132 Hugonino Guebard burgensis133 Friburgi
  28. presenti134 quindecim135 libras (accusative plural) bonae136 monetae137 Lausannensis138 et quatuor modios139 (accusative plural, from modius, a Roman dry measure, approximately equal to an English peck, from which the French measure muid is derived)
  29. messelli (Latin messelus or French messel is a local term from Latin miscellus, referring to a 50:50 mixture of wheat and rye, these two grains were often grown together) ad mensuram140 Montagniaco141 solvendis142 juris143 et144 obligationis145 bonorum146
  30. suorum147 etcetera148 infra149 proximum150 festum151 nativitatis152 domini153 cum dampni154 etcetera155
  31. Renunciationes156 etcetera157 juris158 etcetera159 laudata160 est tercia161 die mensis162
  32. martii Anno quo supra163.
  33. (In the margin: facta164 est.)

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