Classifications or Titles

Herb Robertson

In the Roman Catholic records of Siemianówka, Galicia, Austria (now part of Ukraine) written in Latin in the late 1700s and early 1800s, I frequently find the words laboriosi, honesti, or nobili written before the given name of the individuals listed in the record. It appears to represent a classification of people either by their professions, or economic status. What do the words mean/refer to and why were they used? Thank you.

Eppich Maria

According to "In Their Words", Volume III: Latin by William F. Hoffman and Jonathan D. Shea, they interpret those titles as follows:

laboriosus (pracowity in Polish) (industrius in English) - it is used to addres a peasant

Honestus (uczciwy in Polish) (honest in English) - it is used to address a farmer from a small town

Nobilis (szlachetny in Polish) (noble in English) - it is used to address an owner of a parcel, or leaseholder

Inquilinus, inquilini (komornik in Polish) - a peasant who lived with another as a boarder, a tenant farmer

Herb Robertson

Thank you so much, Maria. That was very helpful. I wonder why that indication of status was so important in the church records, but then those were different times and different cultures.

Eppich Maria

I agree with you.