Read your ancestors’ records
Even if you don’t know Swedish
For many with Swedish ancestry, the Swedish language is the main obstacle for discovering their family history in Sweden.
No wonder.
What makes it hard
Over the last 200 years, the Swedish language has changed immensely.
- The spelling has changed and the inflection of just about any grammatical category is simpler
- Many words have completely changed meanings
- And in Swedish there are many ways to translate the English “the” or the plural “s” – and there are no rules for which version to use
Finding a Swedish dictionary that works for family history is not that easy.
That’s why I’ve put together a Swedish genealogy glossary based on my personal cheat sheet that I use as a professional genealogist for descendants of Swedes around the world.
What you’re getting
The handwriting problem, solved.
Your ancestors’ stories are hidden behind an archaic foreign language and the handwriting of ten different clerks. A wordlist alone is not enough.
Every word in the wordlist is shown in three historical handwriting styles so that you can recognise it in the records.
This is what makes the Illustrated Genealogy Glossary different from any other Swedish genealogy wordlist.
What’s inside
Shortcut to Sweden:
Illustrated Genealogy Glossary
18-page curated wordlist
The most relevant terms for Swedish genealogy, based on over fifteen years of experience. Each word shown in the forms it actually appears in the records. Not with modern spelling or grammar. Not as a collection of archaic words left for you to interpret.
Three centuries of handwriting
Writing examples for every word in the wordlist using three historical handwriting typefaces covering the 1630s to the 1890s, so that you can recognise words in real records.
Language & spelling guidance
Swedish spelling and language reforms explained, along with the Swedish alphabet, so you understand why the same word looks different across centuries.
AI translation guide
How to use AI tools specifically for Swedish genealogy translations and get reliable results, including what AI gets wrong and how to verify what it tells you.
Time, dates & numbers
Time-related words, date formats, and numbers in different forms — all of which appear constantly in records and are easily misread without context.
Unique Swedish terms
Detailed descriptions of five unique Swedish terms that lack a simple English translation.
34 sets of record headers
From household examination records, moving records, birth, death, and marriage records, so that you can figure out what’s implied even when headers are missing.
Transcription tips
Practical guidance for reading Swedish records correctly, even when every letter looks the same.
Simply use the translations of
a professional Swedish genealogist
No more weeding through wordlists that don’t make sense or using online translators and hoping for the best.
Pricing
Shortcut to Sweden: Illustrated Genealogy Glossary
Taxes included.
Delivery & Format
What to expect
Digital delivery
Shortcut to Sweden: Illustrated Genealogy Glossary is a digital product, delivered as a PDF. Open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Format & printing
Formatted for US letter size and printable on A4. Designed to work both on screen and printed beside your records.
Personal use
Your purchase is for personal use only. Please reach out for group or institutional access.
Rights
All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, shared, or redistributed without permission.
PS. Top photo of a woman a table writing, taken in Landskrona, Malmöhus County, by Cöster, Rudolf Gustaf Reinhold, 1908-1920, Upplandsmuseet (FN05938). Public Domain Mark.
