As part of the appendices to a marriage record, the groom had to submit proof that he had fulfilled his military duties. This certificate of the National Militia often contains a physical description. In some cases, the physical description is left blank, for example if the man did not have to serve because he had brothers in the army already. This article will give an overview of the most frequent Dutch terms and their translations.
Example
This national militia certificate of Arend Kastein, found in his marriage supplements, shows he was 1.74 meters tall, with an oval face, ordinary forehead, blue eyes, ordinary nose and mouth, round chin, and black hair and eyebrows.
National Militia certificate for Arend Kastein
Terms
The form itself
| Dutch term | English translation |
|---|---|
| Lengte | Height |
| El | Ell, old meassurement (see below). |
| Duim | Thumb, old meassurement (see below). |
| Str. (streep) | Stripe, old meassurement (see below). |
| Aangezigt | Face |
| Voorhoofd | Forehead |
| Oogen / ogen | Eyes |
| Neus | Nose |
| Mond | Mouth |
| Kin | Chin |
| Haar | Hair |
| Wenkbraauwen | Eyebrows |
| Merkbare teekenen | Obvious features |
| Handteekening | Signature |
The values
| Dutch term | English translation |
|---|---|
| Arm | Arm |
| Been | Leg |
| Blaauw, blauw | Blue |
| Blond | Blond |
| Breed | Broad, wide |
| Bruin | Brown |
| De | The |
| Dik | Fat, thick |
| Dun | Thin, skinny |
| Gekliefd, gekloofd | Cleft |
| Gewoon | Ordinary |
| Grijs | Grey |
| Groen | Green |
| Groot | Big |
| Hoog | High |
| Id., idem, identiek | Identical (i.e.: same as the previous feature) |
| Klein | Small |
| Laag | Low |
| Lang, langwerpig | Long |
| Licht | Light |
| Lidtekeen, lidteken, litteeken, litteken | Scar |
| Links, linker | Left |
| Matig | Moderate |
| Nek | Neck |
| Op | On |
| Ord., ordinair | Ordinary |
| Ovaal | Oval |
| Plat | Flat |
| Pokdalig | Poxy skin |
| Rechts, rechter | Right |
| Rond | Round |
| Rood | Red |
| Smal | Narrow |
| Spits | Pointy |
| Vinger | Finger |
| Vlak | Flat |
| Wang | Cheek |
| Zwart | Black |
Example: ‘klein lidteeken op de linkerwang’ = ‘small scar on the left cheek’.
The meassures
The height of the men is often recorded in el, duim (d.), streep (str.). These are old names for meassures. However, they have been converted to metric and are used as such. 1 el = 1 meter (3’4″), 1 duim = 10 centimeters (4″), 1 streep = 1 centimeter (0.4″). So if somebody is 1 el 72 str. or 1 el 7 d. 2 str., this simply means he’s 1.72 meters tall (about 5’8″).
You can use WolframAlpha to convert meassurements from meters to feet and inches. For example, type ‘convert 1.72 meters to imperial’.
About Yvette Hoitink
