Swedish words in an estate inventory in 1793

Steven1947

Hi, one of my records is an estate inventory and the person who died had a lengthy estate. There were two words that I'm interested in getting translated knowing they were used to describe the person who died. They are Wälförståndige and Drunnmannen.

I did a Googgle translation but I think they have a broader meaning when used in this estate context. Can you comment on these two words?

Thanks

Steve

Ulrich Neitzel

@Steven1947

Wälförståndig (i modern spelling välförståndig) means (very) sensible, wise. It is a sort of honorable epithet for a person (https://www.saob.se/artikel/?seek=v%C3%A4lf%C3%B6rst%C3%A5ndig&pz=1#U_V1801_229455)

I cannot find the word Drunnmannen. It may help to see the context.

Steven1947

Here is the link to the related estate that has the word Drunnmannen before the name of the person Tolf Jonsson

https://app.arkivdigital.se/volume/v143276?image=482

Ulrich Neitzel

Hello Steven, unfortunately I don't have access to arkivdigital.se.

Norm Baker

The word is "dannemannen" which is "the husband" according to the Swedish Genealogy Guide's Swedish Historical Dictionary Database: https://swedishgenealogyguide.com/dictionaries/swedish-historical-dictionary-database-shdd.

I will attach a snip of the page.

Clipboard01.jpg

Niels Just Rasmussen

Being called "VÄLFÖRSTÅNDIG" was a sign of being regarded as a capable servant of the State/King.

So that epithet was restricted to a certain your social class. [That explain the "lengthy estate"]

"I 1700-talets tingsprotokoll förekommande predikat för duglig tjänsteman, särskilt länsmannen".

Source: https://fho.sls.fi/uppslagsord/13861/valforstandig/

"Dannemand" in Denmark has this double meaning: Being a Danish man AND being a reliable man of honour (mostly used of married men).

As the pronunciation and spelling of the two meanings merged - originally Dan(n)emand and Dandemand respectively - the meaning also merged in Denmark.

Source: https://ordnet.dk/ods/ordbog?query=dannemand

In Sweden only the second meaning of reliable honourable married man would be used (obviously).

Steven1947

Thank you for your comments. This helps us significantly

Steven1947

One follow up. Would there be any specific records in Sweden that I could find him in since he was given this epithet - VÄLFÖRSTÅNDIG.

Niels Just Rasmussen

As a "tjänestemann" of the State and especially if he was a "Länsmann" it could be possible to find him in judicial protocols of the time.

The job of the Länsmann was to act as the prosecutor in cases within his district, so his name should appear in a lot of court cases.

Steven1947

Thanks again

Steven1947

Thanks again