Saturday, January 5, 2008

Abbreviations for Months

Our family history needs to be recorded in a consistent manner, be it locations or dates. Dates are written in different ways around the world and even by various family members.

I frequently find documents or correspondence that lists a date like 1/11/07. What does that mean? Is it January 11, 1907 or 1 November 1807 or something else? If there are no other reference points, all I can do is guess. Regardless of the laws of probability, I invariably choose the wrong interpretation.

Dates should be written so they will always be understood by everyone. If you aren't already listing your dates as 11 Jan 2007 or 1 Nov 1807 then start doing so now. Your readers and those who inherit your work will thank you for writing them with clarity.

If you are like me, you often encounter writing that isn't in your native language or personal knowledgebase. When it involves dates, here is a handy reference list that will help you interpret the months.

ABBREVIATIONS FOR MONTHS

CZECH

DANISH

DUTCH

ENGLISH

led.
ún.
brez.
dub.
kvet.
cerv.
cerven.
srp.
zárí
ríj.
list.
pros.

jan.
febr.
marts.
april
maj.
juni
juli
aug.
sept.
okt.
nov.
dec.

jan.
febr.
maarts.
apr.
mei
juni
juli
aug.
sept.
oct.
nov.
dec.

Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.

ESTONIAN

FRENCH

GERMAN

HUNGARIAN

jaan.
veebr.
märts.
Apr.
mai
juuni
juuli
aug.
sept.
okt.
nov.
dets.

janv.
févr.
mars
avril
mai
juin
juil.
août
sept.
oct.
nov.
déc.

Jan. (Jän.)
Feb.
März
Apr.
Mai
Juni
Juli
Aug.
Sept.
Okt.
Nov.
Dez.

jan.
feb.
márc.
ápr.
máj.
jún.
júl.
aug.
szept.
okt.
nov.
dec.

INDONESIAN

ITALIAN

LATIN

LATVIAN

Jan. (Djan.)
Peb.
Mrt.
Apr.
Mei (Mai)
Juni (Djuni)
Juli (Djuli)
Ag.
Sept.
Okt.
Nop.
Des.

genn.
febbr.
mar.
apr.
magg.
giugno
luglio
ag.
sett.
ott.
nov.
dic.

Ian.
Febr.
Mart.
Apr.
Mai
Iun.
Iul.
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.

jan.
feb.
marts.
apr.
maijs
junijs
julijs
aug.
sept.
okt.
nov.
dec.

LITHUANIAN

MALAYSIAN

NORWEGIAN

POLISH

saus.
vas.
kovas
bal.
geg.
birz.
liepa
rugp.
rugs.
spalis
lapkr.
gr.

Jan.
Feb.
Mac
Apr.
Mei
Jun
Julai
Og.
Sept.
Okt.
Nov.
Dis.

jan.
febr.
mars.
april
mai
juni
juli
aug.
sept.
okt.
nov.
des.

stycz
luty
mar.
kwiec.
maj
czerw.
Iip.
sierp.
wrzes.
pazdz.
listop.
grudz.

PORTUGUESE

ROMANIAN

SERBO-CROATIAN

SLOVAK

jan.
fev.
marco
abril
maio
junho
julho
agosto
set.
out.
nov.
dez.

Ian.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
Mai
Iunie
Iulie
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Noem.
Dec.

sijec.
velj.
ozuj.
trav.
svib.
lip.
srp.
kol.
ruj.
list.
stud.
pros.

l'ad. jan.
un. feb.
brez. mar.
dub. apr.
kvet. maj.
cerv. jun
cerven. jul
srp. aug.
zari. sept.
ruj. okt.
list. nov.
pros. dec.

SLOVENIAN

SPANISH

SWEDISH

WELSH

jan.
feb.
mar.
apr.
maj
jun.
jul.
avg.
sept.
okt.
nov.
dec.

enero
feb.
marzo
abr.
mayo
jun.
jul.
agosto
sept. (set.)
oct.
nov.
dic.

jan.
febr.
mars.
april
maj
juni
juli
aug.
sept.
okt.
nov.
dec.

Ion.
Chwe.
Maw.
Ebr.
Mai
Meh.
Gorff.
Awst
Medi
Hyd.
Tach.
Rhag.