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That -ix ending

It’s still busy season around these parts — catching up after a series of institutes and getting ready for another one coming up fast.

So…

Another snippet of genealogy in this busy time.

snippet 7

And this one is a snippet of terminology that’s too often overlooked.

Don’t say “ick” when you see that -ix!

Really.

The Legal Genealogist insists that you give her — yes, her — all the respect she’s due.

The -ix ending for a legal term in historical records is telling us something that we all need to know.

It’s telling us that the person involved is female.

In other words:

• The estate administrator named Eunice is male. An estate administratrix named Eunice is female.

• The executor of a will named Evelyn is male. The executrix named Evelyn is female.

• The complaining party in a chancery case, that orator named Jean, is male. But the oratrix named Jean is female.

That’s why you shouldn’t say “ick” when you see that -ix — it’s a clue we often need.


Cite/link to this post: Judy G. Russell, “Snippet 2021 v.7,” The Legal Genealogist (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : posted 10 Aug 2021).

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