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Dancing around unfamiliar words in Polish records can throw even the most savvy of genealogists off-track. But if you pay attention to these commonly encountered terms, you’ll pick up your research tempo in no time.
| Polish | English |
| akt | record, document |
| babcia/babka | grandmother |
| chłop | peasant |
| chrzest | baptism |
| chrześniak | godchild |
| chrzestny, chrzestna | godfather, godmother |
| diecezja | diocese |
| dziecko | child |
| ksiądz, kapłan | priest |
| macocha | stepmother |
| małżeństwo | marriage |
| matka | mother |
| mąż | man, husband |
| metryka | vital record, register |
| miasto | city, town |
| nieprawy | illegitimate; illegal |
| nieślubny | illegitimate |
| ojciec | father |
| ojczym | stepfather |
| parobek | farmhand |
| powiat | district, county |
| ród | clan, lineage |
| rodzina | family |
| rok | year |
| rolnik | farmer |
| rozwód | divorce |
| urzędnik | official; clerk |
| Wielkopolksa | Greater Poland |
| zgon | death |
| zona | wife |
| żołnierz | soldier |
