(This guide is excerpted from the book In Their Words… Vol. I: Polish. It is an edited version of an article that originally appeared as “Translating Letters from the Polish National Archives” by William F. Hoffman in the August, 1995 issue of Rodziny, The Journal of the Polish Genealogical Society of America. It is reprinted here with permission.)
Note: Since many folks do not have their browsers set up to display Polish characters properly, such as the l with a slash or the a with a tail, this version is presented without them. The words should still be recognizable, and formatting this guide without the Polish letters avoids making you go through the process of enabling that display — a process many find difficult. In our book, of course, we preserve the correct Polish spellings, and we encourage their use whenever possible.
This is a guide for translating letters from the Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwow Panstwowych (Head Office of the State Archives). One can write to the Naczelna Dyrekcja in English but the answer is usually in Polish and can be difficult to read for anyone not fluent in that language.
Compiling this kind of guide is feasible because letters from the Naczelna Dyrekcja, and from the individual Archives under its jurisdiction, feature certain stock phrases and expressions that appear again and again, so the amount of material a translation guide should cover falls within reasonable limits. Normal correspondence or prose, on the other hand, can include an enormous variety of ideas and expressions, too many for a mere article to cover. (A cynic would say a guide to translating normal correspondence already exists — it’s called a “dictionary.”)
Letters from the Archiwum Panstwowe system follow a basic pattern, illustrated by the sample letter shown on the next page. In the upper left is the Archive’s name, usually in boldface type, followed by its address. To the right (often somewhat lower) is the name and address of the person to whom the letter is directed. On a lower line, in smaller type, are the phrases “Wasze pismo z dnia,” “Znak,” “Nasz znak,” and “Data.” These mean, respectively, “Your letter dated,” “Reference #,” “Our reference #,” and “date.” Relevant data appears below these phrases. Usually only the date and “Nasz znak” are filled in. Always note the combination of letters and numbers under “Nasz znak” — this is your file number, and citing it in all correspondence greatly improves the chances that your requests will be handled efficiently. This can be quite important, as requests are routinely kicked upstairs to the Head Office, even if you sent your letter to a particular branch Archive, and the Head Office routinely sends orders down to branch offices to do the actual searching in the records. These orders may involve searching in records kept in a number of different places. The znak is what identifies you and your needs so that all this activity can be coordinated and the results kept straight and reported back to you.
The letter often begins with the salutation “Szanowny Panie” [Dear Sir] or “Szanowna Pani” [Dear Madame]. The contents can vary quite a bit (although one constant feature is that you always seem to end up sending money). The first reply to your request usually lays out the ground rules by which the Archives work, with a cennik [price list] enclosed. Subsequent letters tell whether the search was successful, and, if so, will list what documents were found. This is done so that you can choose which ones you’d like copied — copying is expensive (see the fee schedule, following the word list) so you want to pay close attention to this part and avoid paying for copies of documents that are no use to you.
The letter generally ends with a polite closing such as “Z powazaniem” (Respectfully yours) and the signature of the Archive’s director. You’ll notice that the directors’ names usually are preceded by either “mgr.” (magister, holder of a Master’s degree) or dr. hab.(holder of a Ph.D.). This means you’re dealing with educated Poles, and that is fortunate — the letter will be written in correct Polish, properly spelled. One of the miseries of translating normal correspondence is coping with non-standard spelling and dialect terms.
I compiled the following list of expressions by looking through actual Archiwum letters I have translated for various people. Please realize that the meanings given are those usually seen in the context of such letters. Many of these words have a lot of other meanings not indicated here; but when used in letters of this sort, these definitions apply.
Also, don’t be confused if the translations don’t always make sense word-for-word. “Prosimy o przeslanie do nas kopii” literally means “we ask for the sending to us of a copy,” but “please send us a copy” is a much better way to render it in this context. Strict word-for-word translations tend to be hideous — to translate well, you have to understand what each word means literally, but then put the words together in expressions that sound as natural in English as the original did in Polish.
I have tried to give enough examples of phrases to help you without discussing grammar. If you want to understand why it’s oplata wstepna in one phrase and oplaty wstepnej in another, there are books on Polish grammar available, and I encourage you to study them. But I hope this list, while hardly comprehensive, provides just enough information to help non-Polish speakers who’ve found that you can always tell how much money these guys want you to send — it’s just tough to figure out what it’s for.
Selected Expressions Likely to Appear in Archiwum Panstwowe Letters
adres: address; na adres Archiwum: to the Archive’s address
akt: record, document; tych aktow: of these documents;
w aktach stanu cywilnego: in the Civil Registry records; akt chrztu: baptismal certificate; akt malzenstwa: marriage certificate; akt slubu: marriage certificate; akt urodzenia: birth certificate; akt zgonu: death certificate
archiwum: archive; Archiwum Panstwowe m. st. Warszawy: State Archive, the Capital City of Warsaw
babcia: grandmother
bank: bank; bankowy: the bank’s; po otrzymaniu zawiadomienia bankowego o dokonanej
oplacie: after receiving the bank’s notification that payment has been made
bardzo: very
bedzie (< byc): will be
brak: gap, omission; sa pewne braki w ksiegach: there are certain gaps in the records
brakuje: missing, lacking
brat: brother
byc: to be; moga byc przeprowadzone: [they] can be performed, undertaken
byl (< byc): was; nie bylo: there was no[t]; bylby: would be; jezeli bylby Pan zainteresowany
wznowieniem poszukiwan: if you would be interested in renewing the search
calkowity: entire, total
cennik: price list; zgodnie z zalaczonym cennikiem: as per the enclosed price list
chrzest: baptism; akt chrztu: baptismal certificate; chrzestny [ojciec]: godfather; chrzestna
matka: godmother
ciag: pathway, course; w ciagu 6 miesiecy: over the course of 6 months, during 6 months
corka: daughter
czek: check; odbior czeku na kwote $40: receipt of a check in the amount of $40; platnosc moze byc dokonana czekiem: payment can be made by check
czerwca (< czerwiec): June
czesto: often; dosyc czesto: rather often
czlonek: member; dokumenty dotyczace czlonkow rodziny: documents dealing with members of the family
dane: data, information; znajduja sie wiele danych genealogicznych: there is much genealogical data
data: date; 6 miesiecy od daty otrzymania: 6 months from the date of receipt
dawny: old, former; ksiegi metrykalne dawnej parafii ewangelickiej: registry books of the former Protestant parish
dnia: (< dzien) day; z dnia: dated
do: to
dokonac: to perform, make, execute; zaplaty mozna rowniez dokonac Euroczekiem: payment
can also be made by Eurocheque; dokonac wybor: to make a selection, choose;
zawiadomienie o dokonanej oplacie: notification of payment made; nadeslanie kopii
dokonanej oplaty: sending a copy of proof of payment
dokonanie: making, execution; po dokonaniu wplaty: after payment is made
dokument: document; poszukiwania interesujacych Pana dokumentow: searches for the
documents that interest you; koszt wykonania kopii tego dokumentu: the cost of
copying this document
doliczyc: to add; prosimy o doliczenie do kwoty $90 po $10 za kazdy dokument: please add
$10 per document to the amount of $90
dom: house, home; z domu: nee
dosyc: rather, quite
dotyczacy: dealing with, regarding, concerning; dokumenty dotyczace pozostalych osob
wspomnianych: documents dealing with the other persons mentioned; materialami
dotyczacymi wyznan niechrzescijanskich: materials dealing with non-Christian faiths;
w wyniku kwerendy genealogicznej dotyczacej rodziny: as a result of a genealogical
search dealing with the family
dowod: proof, evidence; prosimy o przeslanie kopii dowodu uiszczenia: please send a copy of
proof of payment
duzy: large; duza ilosc: large quantity
dysponowac: to have access to; dysponujemy materialami dotyczacymi wyznan
niechrzescijanskich: we have materials on non-Christian faiths
dziadek: grandfather
dzieci: children
dziekowac: to thank; dziekujemy za: we thank you for…
ewangelicki: Protestant, Lutheran
ewentualnie: hard to translate, means basically “if need be, if necessary”
figurowac: to appear; we wspomnianych ksiegach nie figuruja: they do not appear in the books
mentioned
genealogiczny: genealogical
gmina: rural district; congregation
godzina: hour; za godzine: per hour; za 16 godzin: for 16 hours
grudnia (< grudzien): December
ich: their
ilosc: quantity, amount, number
informacja: information
informowac: to inform; informuje: informs; informujemy: we inform
interesowac: to interest; interesuja: [they] interest; poszukiwania interesujacych Pana
dokumentow: search for the documents that interest you
iz: that; informujemy, iz: we are informing [you] that…
izraelicki: Jewish
jaki: which
jednoczesnie: at the same time
jedynie: only, solely
jego: his, its, of him, of it
jej: her, its, of her, of it
jesli: if
jest (< byc): is; jestesmy: we are
jezeli: if
kazdy: every, each
konto: [bank] account; prosimy wplacic na konto: please pay to the account
koncowy: last, final; od koncowego rachunku: from the final bill
konkretny: specific, actual
kopia: copy; koszt wykonania kopii tego dokumentu: the cost of copying this document (making
a copy of this document); za kazda zamowiona kopie: for each copy ordered
koszt: cost
ksiag see ksiega
ksiega: book; ksiegi: books, records; w ksiegach: in the books, in the records; we|
wspomnianych ksiegach: in the books mentioned; ksiegi meldunkowe mieszkancow:
residents’ registration books; nie posiada ksiag urodzen: does not have birth records
ktory: which; ktorymi z wymienionych dokumentami jest Pani zainteresowana: in which
documents, of those mentioned, you are interested
kwerenda: search; kwerendy genealogiczne: genealogical searches; Archiwum moze
przeprowadzic w ksiegach kwerende: the Archive can conduct a search in the
books; w trakcie prowadzenia kwerendy: while conducting the search
kwietnia (< kwiecien): April
kwocie see kwota
kwota: amount; w kwocie 30 USD: in the amount of $30; prosze wplacic na konto… kwoty $30:
please pay $30 to the account of…; czek na kwote $40: a check in the amount of $40
lata: years; z lat 1835-1900: for the years 1835-1900
lipca (< lipiec): July
liscie see list
list: letter; list z dnia 24 maja 1995 r.: letter dated 24 May 1995; list Panski: your letter;
dokumenty dotyczace pozostalych osob wspomnianych w liscie: documents dealing with the
other persons mentioned in the letter; w poprzednim liscie: in the previous letter
listopada (< listopad): November
lutego (< luty): February
ma see miec
maja (< maj): May
malzenski: marital, of marriage
malzenstwo: marriage; akt malzenstwa: marriage certificate
marca (< marzec): March
materialy: materials
matka: mother
meldunkowy: registration; ksiegi meldunkowe mieszkancow: residents’ registration books
metryka: vital record, certificate
metrykalny: of a registry, of vital records
mgr.: abbr., holder of a Master’s degree
miasto: town, city; w miescie: in the town
miec: to have; mieli: they had; ma: has; nie ma: does not have (also used to mean “does not exist,
is lacking”)
miescie see miasto
miesiac: month; w ciagu 6 miesiecy: over the course of 6 months
mieszkaniec: resident, inhabitant; mieszkancow: [of] inhabitants, [of] residents
moc: to be able; moga byc przeprowadzone: [they] can be performed; moze: can; moze byc:can
be, may be; mogl: could
mogl see moc
mojzeszowy: Jewish
mowa: speech, discussion; o ktorych mowa w pismie: which were discussed in the letter
moze see moc
mozna: [it] is possible, can be; zaplaty mozna dokonac: payment can be made
na: (prep.) on, to, for; na konto: to the account [of…]
Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwow Panstwowych: State Archives’ Head Office
naczelnik: director
nadeslanie: sending, submission
nadmieniac: to mention; nadmienia sie: it should be mentioned, added
nadsylanie = nadeslanie
naj…szy: superlative form of most adjectives, e. g., najstarszy (from stary, old) = “oldest”
nalezec: to belong, be owing; oplaty nalezy przekazywac na konto: payments should be remitted
to the account
nastepujacy: next, following; na nastepujace konto: to the following account
nasz: our
natomiast: however
nawiazywac: to refer to; nawiazujac do Panskiego pisma: in reference to your letter
nazwisko: surname; nazwiska: of a surname, surnames; na nazwisko: under the name of …
negatywny: negative
nich: them (as in w nich, in them)
nie: not; nie bylo: there was no[t]; nie ma: there is/are no, it does not exist
niechrzescijanski: non-Christian
niekompletny: incomplete
Niemcy: Germans; Germany; ksiegi zostaly wywiezione do Niemiec: the books were removed to
Germany
niestety: unfortunately
obejmowac: to cover, encompass; obejmuja lata 1879-1900: they cover the years 1879-1900
oczywiscie: obviously, of course
od: from; od koncowego rachunku: from the last statement (or bill)
odbior: receipt; potwierdzenie odbioru: confirmation of receipt
odliczyc: to figure, deduct; oplata odliczona zostanie: the payment will be deducted
odnalezienie: finding, discovery; w przypadku odnalezienia konkretnych dokumentow: in case
specific documents are found
odnaleziono: was/were found; odnaleziono zapis aktu chrztu: an entry of a baptismal certificate
was found; odnalezione zostaly dokumenty: documents were found; odpis
odnalezionego dokumentu: copy of a document located
odnosie sie: to relate to, refer to; koszt odnosi sie do kazdego dokumentu: the cost applies to
each document
odpis: copy; uwierzytelnione odpisy: certified copies; wykonanie odpisu: copying (the making of
a copy)
odpowiadac: to answer; odpowiadajac na list: in reply to [your] letter
odpowiedz: response; w odpowiedzi na pismo Pana: in response to your letter
odszukac: to find, discover; odszukano okolo 30 dokumentow: some 30 documents were found;
koszt odszukanych dokumentow: the cost of the documents found
ojciec: father
okolo: about, approximately, nearly
okreslic: to define, describe
oplata: payment, charge; oplata wstepna: an initial payment, down payment; kopia dowodu
uiszczenia oplaty: a copy of proof of payment of the fee; zawiadomienie o dokonanej
oplacie: notification that payment has been made; nadeslanie kopii dokonanej oplaty:
sending a copy of proof of payment
osoba: person; jakie osoby: which persons; dokumenty dotyczace pozostalych osob:documents
dealing with other persons mentioned
ostatni: last; w ostatnim liscie: in the last letter
otrzymac: to receive; odpowiadajac na pismo otrzymane: replying to the letter received
otrzymanie: receipt, receiving; jesli Pani bylaby zainteresowana otrzymaniem dokumentow:if
you would be interested in receiving the documents; po otrzymaniu zawiadomienia
bankowego o dokonanej oplacie: after receiving the bank’s notification that payment
has been made
Pan: gentleman, sir (in letters almost always a polite way of saying “you” to a male); poszukiwania
interesujacych Pana dokumentow: search for the documents that interest you
Pani: lady, madame (in letters almost always a polite way of saying “you” to a female);
poszukiwania interesujacych Pania dokumentow: search for the documents that interest
you (addressing a female)
Panski: your
panstwowy: national
parafia: parish; rzymsko-katolickiej parafii w Krapkowicach: of the Roman Catholic parish in||
Krapkowice
parafialny: parish, parochial; w ksiegach parafialnych: in the parish records
pazdziernika (< pazdziernik): October
pelny: full; w pelni pokrywa koszt: covers the cost in full
pismo: letter; e. g., Wasze pismo z dnia: your letter dated; odbior Panskiego pisma: the receipt
of your letter; w pismie: in the letter
platnosc: payment, remittance; platnosc moze byc dokonana czekiem: payment can be made by
check
platny: paid, payable, due; kwerenda jest platna: the search is on a fee basis
po: after, according to, per; po wplaceniu oplaty wstepnej: after payment of the initial fee; po
dokonaniu wplaty: after payment is made; prosimy o doliczenie do koncowego rachunku
po $10 za kazdy dokument: please add $10 for each document to the final bill
pobiera sie: is collected, due; za godzine poszukiwan pobiera sie 15 dolarow: $15 is charged
per hour of searching
pochodzic: to come; pochodza z: [they] come from, date from
podac: to give, provide; Jesli Pan poda, jakie osoby Pana interesuja: if you’ll provide the
persons who interest you; podany Pani koszt $10: the cost of $10 we gave you
podczas: during
podjac: to undertake, begin; Archiwum podejmie prace: the Archive will begin work
podjety: undertaken; kwerenda zostanie podjeta: the search will be begun
podlegac: to be subject to; oplata ta nie podlega zwrotowi: this payment is non-returnable;
kwerendy genealogiczne podlegaja oplatom: genealogical searches are subject to
charges
podniszczony: deteriorated, in bad shape
pogrupowany: arranged, grouped
pokrewienstwo: kinship, relationship
pokrywac: to cover; czek pokrywa koszt: the check covers the cost
poniewaz: inasmuch as
poprzedni: previous; w poprzednim liscie: in the previous letter
posiadac: to possess, have; Archiwum posiada: the Archive possesses; posiadamy: we possess;
w posiadanych ksiegach: in the books possessed
poswiadczony: certified; poswiadczona kopia: certified copy
poszukiwanie: search, searching; za godzine poszukiwan pobiera sie 15 dolarow: $15 is
charged per hour of searching; poszukiwania interesujacych Pana dokumentow:
search for the documents that interest you
potrzebny: needed, necessary
potwierdzac: to confirm; potwierdzajac odbior Panskiego pisma: in confirmation of receipt of
your letter
powazanie: respect; z powazaniem: respectfully yours
powiadomienie: information, notification; prosimy o powiadomienie nas: please notify us
powodowac: to cause; nie uregulowanie rachunku powoduje wstrzymanie prac: non-payment
of the bill will cause cessation of work
powtarzac sie: to be repeated, recur; nazwiska powtarzaja sie: surnames appear again and again
pozostaly: other, remaining; dokumenty dotyczace pozostalych osob wspomnianych:documents
dealing with the other persons mentioned
prababka: great-grandmother
praca: work; prace skoncentrowaly sie na ksiegach z Grodziska: work concentrated on
records from Grodzisk; za kazda godzine pracy: for each hour of work
pradziadek: great-grandfather
pragnac: to desire; pragnie: wishes to; pragniemy: we wish to…
prosba: request, petition; w odpowiedzi na Pana prosbe: in response to your request
prosic: to ask; prosimy: we ask (o: for) (often = “please”); prosimy o informacje: please send
information; prosimy o przeslanie do nas kopii: please send us a copy; prosimy o
przeslanie kopii dowodu uiszczenia: please send a copy of proof of payment; prosze:
please; prosze wplacic na konto… kwoty $30: please pay $30 to the account of…;
prowadzenie: conducting; prowadzenie kwerendy: conducting a search
przechowywac: to preserve, maintain, keep; w przechowywanych w Archiwum ksiegach: in the
books kept in the Archive
przekazywac, przekazac: to send, transmit, remit, transfer
przeprowadzic: to conduct, perform, do; przeprowadzony: performed, done, conducted;
przeprowadzone zostaly poszukiwania: a search was conducted; koszt
przeprowadzonych poszukiwan: the cost of the search conducted
przeslac: to send; przeslany: sent; odpisy zostana przeslane: copies will be sent; przeslany
czekpokrywa koszt: the check [you] sent covers the cost
przeslanie: sending; prosimy o przeslanie kopii dowodu uiszczenia: please send a copy of proof
of payment
przeslany see przeslac
przesylac: to send; przesylamy: we are sending; przesylamy w zalaczeniu: we are enclosing
przez: through, by
przypadajacy: due, falling [due], payable; oplaty przypadajace z tytulu kwerendy: charges
incurred due to a search
przypadek: case, instance; w przypadku odnalezienia konkretnych dokumentow: in case
specific documents are found
przyspieszyc: to hasten, speed up; przyspieszy zalatwienie sprawy: will speed up resolution of the
matter
przystapic: to proceed, begin; Archiwum przystapi do poszukiwan: the Archive will begin the
search
przystapienie: proceeding, beginning; warunkiem przystapienia do poszukiwan: [as] a condition
for beginning the search
rachunek: reckoning, bill; nie uregulowanie rachunku: not settling a bill (i. e., non-payment)
raz: case, time; w razie negatywnych wynikow: in case of negative results; poprzednim razem:
last time
rejestr: register; skorowidze do rejestrow: indexes to the registers
rodzenstwo: siblings, brothers and sisters
rodzice: parents
rodzina: family
rok: year; w roku ubieglym: last year; z tego roku: from that year
rowniez: also, as well
rozpoczecie: beginning; oplata wstepna za rozpoczecie poszukiwan: a down payment for
beginning the search
rzymsko-katolicki: Roman Catholic; rzymsko-katolickiej parafii w Krapkowicach: of the
Roman Catholic parish in Krapkowice
sasiedni: neighboring, nearby
sierpnia (< sierpien): August
skoncentrowac sie: to be concentrated; prace skoncentrowaly sie na ksiegach z Grodziska:
work concentrated on the records from Grodzisk
skorowidz: index; skorowidze do rejestrow: indexes to the registers
slub: wedding; akt slubu: marriage certificate
spis: list; ktorymi z wymienionych w zalaczonym spisie dokumentami jest Pani
zainteresowana: which documents of those mentioned in the enclosed list you are interested
in; w przeslanym Pani spisie: in the list sent to you
sprawa: matter, affair, in re; przyspieszy zalatwienie sprawy: will speed up resolution of the
matter
stan: state, condition; nie jest w stanie: [he/she/it] cannot, is not in a position to; nie jestesmy w
stanie: we cannot; stan cywilny; Civil Registry; stanu cywilnego: of the Civil Registry
stanowiacy: comprising, representing; kwoty $30, stanowiacej oplate wstepna: the sum of $30,
which represents an initial payment
stopien (genitive form stopnia): degree; wedlug stopnia pokrewienstwa: according to degree of
kinship
stosowny: appropriate; wplacenie stosownej wplaty: making the appropriate payment
stycznia (< styczen): January
swoj: his [own], her [own], its [own]; w swoich zbiorach: in its collections
syn: son
Szanowny Panie!: dear sir; Szanowna Pani!: dear madame
szczegolnie: especially, particularly
ta: that, this
taki: such
tego see ten
temat: subject; na temat Mszczonowa: on the subject of Mszczonow
ten: this, that; tego dokumentu: of that document
teren: ground, area, region; z terenu Lodzi: from the Lodz area
trakt: course; w trakcie: during; w trakcie prowadzenia kwerendy: during the course of
conducting the search
trwac: to last, go on; poszukiwania trwaly 8 godzin: the search took 8 hours
tutejszy: local; tutejszy urzad: the local office
tym: a form of ten, q. v.; tym razem: this time
tytul: title; z tytulu kwerendy: by virtue of a search, due to a search
ubiegly: last, previous; w roku ubieglym: last year
udac sie: to succeed in; jakie udalo sie odszukac: which could be found
uiszczenie: payment
um.: abbrev. for umarly, umarla, umarli: deceased
uprzejmie: politely (but often not translated, it’s simply an expression of courtesy, e. g. uprzejmie
informujemy, ze: we beg to inform you, we are pleased to inform you that…)
ur.: abbrev. for urodzony, born
uregulowanie: settlement; nie uregulowanie rachunku: non-payment
urodzenie: birth; akt urodzenia: birth certificate
urodzony: born
USC, abbrev. of Urzad Stanu Cywilnego, Civil Registry Office
uwierzytelniony: certified; uwierzytelnione odpisy: certified copies
w, we: in; w ksiegach: in the books; w nich: in them; we Wroclawiu: in Wroclaw; w zespole Akt
miasta Rawicza: in the collection of records of the town of Rawicz
warunek: condition; warunkiem przystapienia do poszukiwan: a condition for beginning the
search
Wasze: your
we see w
wedlug: (prep.) according to
wiadomosc: news, information; do wiadomosci: for [your, his, her] information (at the end of a
letter, it means copies were sent to the following)
wiele, wielu: many
wies: village; we wsi: in the village
wojna: war; podczas wojny swiatowej: during the World War
wplacenie: payment; po wplaceniu oplaty wstepnej: after payment of the initial fee; w razie
wplacenia $30 do Banku: in the case of $30 being paid to the Bank
wplacic: to pay; wplacic na konto: to pay to the account; wplaconych jako oplata wstepna
$90: the $90 paid as a down payment
wplata: payment; po dokonaniu wplaty: after payment is made; wplacenie stosownej wplaty:
making the appropriate payment
wrzesnia (< wrzesien): September
wsi see wies
wspolpraca: cooperation, collaboration
wspomniany: mentioned, named; dokumenty dotyczace pozostalych osob wspomnianych:
documents dealing with the other persons mentioned; we wspomnianych ksiegach:
in the books mentioned
wstepny: initial, preliminary; oplata wstepna: initial payment, down payment; uiszczenie oplaty
wstepnej: making the initial payment
wstrzymanie: suspension, cessation (prac: cessation of work)
wszelki: all, every kind of
wszystkie: all; koszt wszystkich dokumentow: the cost of all the documents
ww., w/w: (abbrev. for wyzej wymieniony) mentioned above, aforementioned
wydac: to issue; wydany: issued
wydzial: department, division
wyjasnic: to explain; pragniemy wyjasnic: we wish to explain
wykonanie: making; koszt wykonania kopii: the cost of making the copies
wymieniony: mentioned, listed
wynik: result, outcome; wyniki poszukiwan genealogicznych: the results of a genealogical search; w razie negatywnych wynikow prac: in case of negative results of the work; w wyniku
przeprowadzonej kwerendy: as a result of a search conducted
wynosic: to amount to, come to; koszt wynosi $150: the cost comes to $150
wypadek: instance, case; w tym wypadku: in this case
wyslac: to send; wyslalismy: we sent
wysoki: high, tall
wystepujacy: appearing, showing up; osob w nich wystepujacych: [of the] persons appearing in
them
wywiezc: to remove, take away; ksiegi wywiezione zostaly: the books were transferred, removed
wyzej: above, previously
wyznanie: faith, religion; wyznania mojzeszowego: of the Jewish faith; wyznan
niechrzescijanskich: of non-Christian faiths
wzglad: view; ze wzgledu: in view of
wzmianka: mention: nie bylo wzmianka na temat Mszczonowa: there was no mention of
Mszczonow
wznowienie: renewing; jezeli bylby Pan zainteresowany wznowieniem poszukiwan: if you
would be interested in renewing the search
z-ca: abbr. for zastepca, assistant, vice-
z(e): from, of, with; z dnia: dated; z 1878 r.: from 1878; z lat 1808-1882: from 1808-1882; z
Mszczonowa: from Mszczonow; z Zagranica: with foreigners, those abroad
za: for, per; $15 za godzine: $15 per hour; koszt wynosi $160 (za 16 godzin): the cost comes to $160 (for 16 hours)
zachowac sie: to be preserved, kept; zachowaly sie ksiegi metrykalne: registry books have been
preserved
zagranica: foreign countries, abroad, foreigners
zainteresowany: interested; jezeli bylby Pan zainteresowany wznowieniem poszukiwan
(otrzymaniem kopii): if you would be interested in renewing the search
(receiving a copy); ktorymi dokumentami jest Pani zainteresowana: which
documents you are interested in
zal.: abbrev. for zalaczenie
zalaczenie: enclosure; przesylamy w zalaczeniu: we are enclosing
zalaczony: enclosed; wymienionych w zalaczonym spisie: of those mentioned in the enclosed list
zalatwienie: settlement, resolution; przyspieszy zalatwienie sprawy: will speed up resolution of
the matter
zamowic: to order, commission; $10 za kazda zamowiona kopie: $10 for each copy ordered
zapis: inscription, entry; odnaleziono zapis aktu chrztu: an entry of a baptismal certificate was
found
zaplata: payment; zaplaty mozna rowniez dokonac Euroczekiem: payment can also be made by
Euro-check
zasob: supply, store; w swym zasobie: in its holdings
zastepca: assistant, vice-
zaswiadczenie: certificate
zawarcie: contracting; akt zawarcia zwiazku malzenstwa: marriage certificate
zawiadomienie: notification; po otrzymaniu zawiadomienia bankowego o dokonanej oplacie:
after receiving the bank’s notification that payment has been made
zawierajacy: containing
zbior: collection, holding; w swoich zbiorach: in its holdings
ze see z
ze: that: informujemy, ze: we inform you that…
zespol: set, group, whole; w zespolach: in the holdings
zgodnie: in agreement with, according to; zgodnie z zalaczonym cennikiem: according to the
enclosed price list
zgon: death; akt zgonu: death certificate
zlecenie: commission; na zlecenie zainteresowanego: on the order/ commission of the interested
party
zleceniodawca: client, one commissioning work; po wplaceniu przez zleceniodawce oplaty
wstepnej: after payment of the initial fee by the client
zm.: abbrev. for zmarly, zmarla, zmarli, deceased, died
znacznie: considerably, significantly
znajdowac sie: to be located, be found; znajduja sie: are located, are found
znak: sign, badge, token; Nasz znak: our reference number
znalezc: to find; znalezlismy: we found
zniszczyc: to destroy, annihilate; ksiegi te zostaly zniszczone: these books were destroyed
zona: wife
zostac: to become, be; zostaly przeprowadzone: were conducted; kwerenda zostanie podjeta:
the search will be begun; odpisy zostana przeslane: copies will be sent
zwiazany: connected (z: with); wiele danych genealogicznych zwiazanych z rodzina: much
genealogical data connected with the family
zwiazek: union; akt zawarcia zwiazku malzenskiego: marriage certificate; w zwiazku z tym: in
regard to this
zwrocic sie: to turn to, apply to, contact
zwrot: return; oplata ta nie podlega zwrotowi: this payment is non-returnable
zydowski: Jewish