There are many foreign words that are used on antique maps. A lot of antique maps were written in languages other than English – Latin, French and German, for example.
Translation websites such as babelfish.com and translate.google.com are very useful, however when it comes to translating antique maps they can be less than perfect. For your convenience MAPSandART.com has translated into English the most common French, German and Latin terms often found in maps.
FrenchAbrégé, ée = condensed Académie = academy Américain; Américaine = Americain Ancien; Ancienne = ancient, previous Année = year Armée = army Augmenté,ée = enlarged Auteur = author Banc = bank (aquatic) Bois = woods Boussole = compass Carte = map Chemin = path Chez = at (publisher) Comte = Count Connaisance = understanding, knowledge Connu, e = known Conté = county Corrigé, ée = corrected Cosmographe = cosmographer Cosmographique = cosmographic Couronne = crown Dedié, ée = dedicated to Destroit = strait Dessiné = drawn Duché = Dukedom Est = East Etat = state Etats-Unis = United States Faubourg = suburbs, outskirts Fleuve = river Géographe = geographer Hydrographe = hydrographer Ingénieur = ingenior Isle = island Lac = lake Lieue = league Mappemonde = world map Mer = sea Mer Glaciale = Arctic Ocean Mer du Nord = Atlantic Ocean Mer du Sud = Pacific Ocean Méridional, e = southern Monde = world Monseigneur = lord, title of respect Montagne = mountain Nord = North Occident, ale = Western Oriental, ale = Eastern Presqu’ile = peninsula Privilège = privilege Redigé, ée = edited Reduite = scaled down Reine = queen Relation = narrative, account Rivière = river Rocher = rock Roi; Roy = king Royaume = kingdom Septentrional, ale = Northern Servir = to assist Successeur = successor Toise = fathom Vaisseau, x = vessel Vent = wind Compiled by www.MapsAndArt.com |
GermanAllegemeine = general (adj) Alt = old Angrezend = bordering (adj) Armee = army Ausführlich = detailed, complete (adj) Bach = brook, stream Bahn = road, path Bai, Bay = bay Bayern = Bavaria Berg = mountain Beschreibung = description Deutsch = German Dorf = village Eismeer = Polar Sea Entdeckung = discovery Enhaltend = containing Entwurf = plan Erde = World Eiland = island Gebiet = region, district Gezeichnet = signed, drawn Herzogthum, Herzogtum = dukedom Insel = island Jahr = year Karte = map, chart Keyser = emperor König = king Königreich = kingdom Kreis = circle, district Küste = coast Land = country, land Meer = sea, ocean Meerbusen = bay, gulf Meerenge = strait, channel Meile = mile, league Mittag = South Neu = new Nörd = North Nördlich = northern Nördlicher Polarkreis = Arctic Circle Ort, Ohrt = region, place Ost = East Ostindien = East Indies Östlish = eastern Ostsee = Baltic Sea Preußen = Prussia Provinz = province Reich = empire, kingdom Schloß = castle Staat = state, country Stadt, Statt = city Stille Meer = Pacific Ocean Straße = street, strait Süd = South Südlich = Southern Südsee = South Sea Sund = sound, strait Tafel = table, chart Verbessert = improved Vereinigt = united Vereinigten Staten = United States Wald = forest Wasser = water Welt = World Compiled by www.MapsAndArt.com |
LatinAdjacens = adjoining Aqua, ae = water Auctor, is = author, cartographer Borealis, -e = northern Caelavit = engraved by Caelestis, -e = celestial Chalcographus = engraver Chersonesus = peninsula Chorographica, -ae = geography Cognitus, -a, -um = known Comitatus = county Compendiosus, -a, -um = abridged Confinis, -e = adjacent Continens, -entis = neighboring Delineavit = cartographer Descriptio, -ionis = map Dicio, -ionis = dominion, sovereignty Ducatus = dukedom Editus, -a, -um = published Emendatus = corrected Excudit, Excud, Exc. = printer or publisher Fecit = engraver Flumen, Fluvius = river Geographicus, -a, -um = geographical Heres, Heredis = heir, successor Impensis = publisher Imperium, -ii = empire, dominion Incidit, incidebat = engraver Instruavit = engraver Insula, -ae = island Invenit = cartographer Lacus = lake Litoris = coast Locus, -i = place, district Mappa, -ae = map Mare, -is = sea, ocean Meridionialis, -e = southern Mundus, -i = the world Novissimus, -a, -um = newest Occidentalis, -e = western Oceanus = ocean Officina, -ae = published or printed by Oppidum = town Ora = border, coast Orbis, -is = globe, earth, world Pagus = village, province Pars, Partis = part, region Pinxit = drew, painted Privilegium, cum privilegio = indicates copyright Provincia = province Regio, -ionis = line, boundary Regnum, -i = kingdom, dominion Scripsit = indicates lettering engraver Sculpsit, sculp., sc. = engraver Sumptus, -us = publisher Tabula, -ae = map Terrestris, -e = terrestrial Totus, -a, -um = all, entire Tractus = district, region Universalis, -e = universal Urbs, Urbis = city Vicinus, -a, -um = nearby Compiled by www.MapsAndArt.com
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