Puerto Rico: My Ancestors and Their Descendants

A word about what is represented on this page. The following translations and/or definitions have been placed here after checking and cross-checking various sources. They are meant to assist you in understanding what the spanish term may have possibly meant and it is not a conclusive list - other terms will be added. Many sources describe some of these same terms differently. With that said if anyone feels that I have erred please feel free to bring it to my attention.

Terms Found on Census or Documents

Abbreviations Associated with Census/Documents

Diseases - Medical Terms

Spanish Term	Translation
Abuelo/a	Grandfather/mother
Ahijado/a	Godson/daughter
Alojado	Guest Boarder
Barrio	Town
Bisabuelo/a	Great-Grandfather/Grandmother
Bisnieto/a	Great-Grandson/Grand-daughter
Calle	Street
Callejon	Alleyway
Cedula	Royal Decree
Consanguinidad	Blood relationship
Criada	Maid
Cunado/a	Brother/Sister-in-Law
Detenido	Detained (under arrest)
Esposo/a	Husband/Wife
Finca	Farm
Frutos Menores	Avocados, mangos, oranges etc.
Ganaderia	Cattlebreeding
Hermano/a	Brother/Sister
Hijo/a	Son/Daughter
Hijo/a Legitimo/a	Legitimate child - born of legal union - marriage
Hijo/a Natural	Common born child - born of unwed parents
Hijo/a Reconocido/a	Although parents were not legally married the father gives the child his family surname
Hijastro/a	Stepson/daughter
Jefe	Head of Household
Jornalero	Laborer
Labrador	Farmer
Liberto	Freed slave
Madre	Mother
Municipio	Municipality
Nieto/a	Grandson/daughter
Nuera	Daugher-in-Law
Padre	Father
Padron	Census
Pardo	Dark mulatto
Partera	Midwife
Pensionista	Boarder
Primo(a)	Cousin
Pueblo	Town (Main)
Sobrino/a	Nephew/Niece
Socio	Partner
Suegro/a	Father/Mother-in-Law
Tio/a	Uncle/Aunt
Yerno	Son-in-Law

Abbreviations Used

B - Blanco	White
Aa.M/P - Abuela Materna/Paterna	Maternal/Paternal Grandmother
Ao.M/P - Abuelo Materno/Paterno	Maternal/Paternal Grandfather
Difo. - Difunto	"the deceased"
H.Li. - Hijo Legitimo	Legitimate Child ( see above definition )
H.N. - Hijo Natural	Common Born ( see above definition )
Mu - Mulato	Mulatto
N - Negro	Black
H - Hembra	Female
V - Varon	Male
CC - Contrato Consensual	Consensual Contract
CL - Casado Legal	Married Legally

Diseases - Medical Terms

Spanish Term	Translation
Ablepsia	Ablepsy: blindness
Afonia	Aphonia: Laryngitis
Apoplexia	Apoplexy: paralysis due to stroke
Boton de Oriente	Boil, Furuncle
Brucelosis	Brucellosis: bacterial - primary source, cattle
Ceguera Brava	Conjunctivitis
Colera Morbo (Colera Asiatico)	Cholera Morbus
Colico	Colic: spastic pain in the abdomen or bowels
Consumimiento	Tuberculosis
Culebrilla	Shingles
Denticion	Teething: ^{( 1 )} - cutting of the teeth
Derrame	Stroke
Difteria	Diptheria: Contagious disease involving the throat
Disenteria	Dysentery: inflammation of intestines
Escorbuto, Enfermedad de Barlow	Scurvy - Caused by vitamin C deficiency.
Fiebre: Amarilla (Vomito Prieto) Catarrales Escarlatina Intermitentes (malignas, terciarias) Maligna, de Campamentos Paludica Puerperal Tifoidea	Fever: Yellow Induced by colds Scarlet Intermitant (malignant, for three days) Typhus Malaria Puerperal: after labor - sometimes fatal. Typhoid
Filaria	Tropical parasite invading human or animal organisms. Sometimes invading lymphatic systems leading to elephantiasis (enlargement and hardening of tissues).
Garotillo	Croup
Golondrino	Abcess
Gota	Gout
Gripe	Influenza
Hemorragia Purpura	Hemorraghing into the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs and other tissues.
Hidropesia	Hydropsy: edema, fluid accummulation - caused by cardiac insufficiency.
Ictericia	Jaundice
Lepra (Mal de San Lazaro)	Leprosy
Mala Sangre (Mal de Bubas, Mal Galico, Mal Frances)	Syphilis
Marasmo	Marasmus: waisting away - malnutrition
Mocezuelo	Infantile Tetanus^{( 2 )}
Muermo	Contagious, virulent disease - primary source, cattle.
Nacido/a Muerto/a	Stillborn birth
Oftalmia	Eyes, inflammation
Parto	Birth
Pierna de Barbados	Elephantitis
Pian	Tropical contagious disease - with excreting fungal eruptions of the skin. Found prevalent amongst slaves in the 17th century.
Plaga: Peste Bubonica (Negra) Plaga Blanca	Plague: Bubonic Tuberculosis
Raquitismo	Rickets
Saba�on	Chillblain: swelling of extremities due to exposure to cold and heat
Sarampion	Measles
Sarna	Mange, scabies
Segunda, La	The afterbirth; placenta
Tifus	Typhus
Tisis	Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis Galopante	Rapid development of Tuberculosis
Tos Ferina	Whooping Cough
Ulcera Maligna	Cancer
Uncinariasis	Hookworm Disease - afflicted mostly the mountain jibaro. Also led to anemia.
Viruela	Smallpox

⁽¹⁾ Often times children died because the method used to alleviate the teething was to lance the gum area bringing on infection and subsequent death.

⁽²⁾ Because of this disease, baptizing a child on the day of its birth was changed to baptism ten or more days after the infant's birth so as not to expose the baby to the outside elements when it's immunity was so low.

More Terms To Come