De

English translation: Mrs [De - Dame, from Ma Dame - Madame]

23:14 Jul 18, 2017
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History
French term or phrase: De
I am translating a history of Franco-Americans from 1918 (written in French in Massachusetts by a native-speaker author of French-Canadian ancestry). The abbreviation "De." is used before a man's name in a list of women participating in a church choir ("De. Arthur Gregoire"). All of the other women are just listed by first/last name. In other parts of the text, the author uses "Mme" and "Mlle" so it is neither of those. I'm wondering if this is a designation for a widow? (veuve de...)? I've never seen it before.
Liz Blood
English translation:Mrs [De - Dame, from Ma Dame - Madame]
Explanation:
As an example, in this document the abbreviations Mde. and De. are both used to refer to the wife of Dr. J. A. Pontbriand:
M. Ernest Decelles fut nommé directeur et Mde. Dr. J. A. Pontbriand, accompagnatrice.
then elsewhere
De. Dr. J. A. Pontbriand
https://archive.org/stream/histoiredesfranc00gatiuoft/histoi...

Compare Sr Sieur, from Mon Sieur - Monsieur
http://fra.proz.com/kudoz/french_to_english/history/1027159-...

See abbreviations here
De Dame
Dlle Damoiselle, etc.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=H0-NAAAAMAAJ&q="Sr Sieur...
Selected response from:

Alison MacG
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:20
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2Mrs [De - Dame, from Ma Dame - Madame]
Alison MacG
3widow of
Ronald van Riet


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
widow of


Explanation:
it could be short for douairière


    https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douairière
Ronald van Riet
Local time: 15:20
Does not meet criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway (meets criteria): Dowager: La douairière est un terme de droit ancien (conventionnel ou coutumier) désignant une veuve d'un milieu aristocratique jouissant d'une part des biens de son défunt mari qui constituent son douaire. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douairière
2 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Mrs [De - Dame, from Ma Dame - Madame]


Explanation:
As an example, in this document the abbreviations Mde. and De. are both used to refer to the wife of Dr. J. A. Pontbriand:
M. Ernest Decelles fut nommé directeur et Mde. Dr. J. A. Pontbriand, accompagnatrice.
then elsewhere
De. Dr. J. A. Pontbriand
https://archive.org/stream/histoiredesfranc00gatiuoft/histoi...

Compare Sr Sieur, from Mon Sieur - Monsieur
http://fra.proz.com/kudoz/french_to_english/history/1027159-...

See abbreviations here
De Dame
Dlle Damoiselle, etc.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=H0-NAAAAMAAJ&q="Sr Sieur...

Alison MacG
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:20
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Charles Davis: Well done. Not easy to research this.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Charles!

agree  Victoria Britten
18 hrs
  -> Thanks, Victoria
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