7

I've seen this abbreviation used in the Thuringia region as late as the late 1800s. Yet it isn't on even the rather exhaustive list at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Month_Names_in_German To my eye, it looks like "gtr".

This particular example is from 1701, but I've seen it used in various entries such that could be September, October, or November.

abbreviation image

The best I can think is that it is September, a variation on '7ber', as 'g' is the 7th letter, but that's a total guess.

BrianFreud
  • 1,013
  • 6
  • 12

1 Answers1

8

It is November [9ber].

Novem is Latin for nine. November was once the ninth month in the calendar.

You may also see 7ber for September, 8ber for October and 10ber or Xber for December in records.

These abbreviations ARE included in the list "Month Names in German", linked in the question.

bgwiehle
  • 8,001
  • 1
  • 14
  • 34
  • Then why is the previous entry A'uy? – RonJohn Dec 15 '20 at 15:01
  • 2
    Month in previous entry is Aug. [with a breve over the u]: ŭ is standard in German handwriting to distinguish u and n. August doesn't follow the naming pattern of the later months. (It was changed from Sextilis in 8 BC) – bgwiehle Dec 15 '20 at 16:26
  • You wouldn't think there'd be a three month gap in births, baptisms, marriages, court cases, etc (which are the standard fare of GaF.SE). That's what made me ask the question. – RonJohn Dec 15 '20 at 16:29
  • 3
    @RonJohn Depends on the record type and the size of the entity to which the records apply. Small villages may have a year or two between marriage records. – bgwiehle Dec 15 '20 at 16:32
  • Why is the "9" written as a "g"? It's only in this context that I see it written as such. – BrianFreud Dec 15 '20 at 23:12
  • Regarding the skip from August to November: it was quite common for there to be no marriages between December and October, and then a dozen of them in November. Between the church calendar (Lent etc.) and farmwork, November was when people were available for weddings. – JPmiaou Dec 16 '20 at 00:47
  • @BrianFreud It is unusual for there to be a loop connecting the 9 to the following letters. Probably a quirk of that particular recorder. – bgwiehle Dec 16 '20 at 12:21
  • 1
    Re marriage timing: Like many cultural practices, marriage traditions vary accross regions. In the small villages of my maternal ancestry, weddings were concentrated in the winter months, and multiple weddings on the same date were common. Everyone celebrated together, probably saving on expenses and increasing community spirit. – bgwiehle Dec 16 '20 at 12:28