Can someone translate this word?

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zinnia
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Can someone translate this word?

Post by zinnia »

In the late 1880's in Alia, Sicily, my great grandfather's profession is listed on several of his children's birth records as "Maistere" or possibly "Maistero". I have looked very closely at the words, and I am pretty confident of the letters. However, even in an on-line Sicilian-English dictionary, I find no such word. Can anyone help? Thanks-
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by dragoni »

here are some similar but not exact (no "t' in these though):

Massare - Steward, farm manager
Massaro - Manager of a country estate

tom
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by dragoni »

here's a better one which is spelled as you note and is related to a period of trianing when one becomes involved in the Salesians: A member of the Society of Saint Francis of Sales, a Roman Catholic congregation founded in Turin in 1845 and dedicated chiefly to education and missionary work.

Coadjutors are not mere helpers, withinthe community, but religious, just as truly as are the priests of the Society.They also are educators and masters, playing an importantretie in our work for society.

THE COADJUTORS FORMATION COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING:c) Post-novitiate formation, which includes the `Maistero' and thepreliminary qualifications, three years' practical training, and the completion ofhigher studies and the obtaining of higher qualifications. All these periods oftraining are obligatory with the exception of that period devoted to the obtainingof higher qualifications.

maybe this individual was involved with this group?

tom
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zinnia
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by zinnia »

Thanks for the ideas, Tom. I am going to look again at the birth records of the children from the family, but I think they say that the parents are analfabeta, which would eliminate the possibility of the Salesian connection. I will see if there is any chance of the other words, but I scanned the original document into the computer and zoomed on the word itself, and the "t" is pretty clear. I do appreciate your quick response. Zinnia
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by liviomoreno »

I suggest that you post the document here so that we can try to decipher the word.
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by PeterTimber »

MAIS = Maize(corn) so it could relate to someone who grows corn. =Peter=
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zinnia
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by zinnia »

Great idea to post the document there. Could someone tell me how to do that, because I don't have a clue- Thanks!
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by dragoni »

zinnia:

because the parents are illiterate does not rule out a child learning how to read and write some place else. in my relatives case both parents were identified as illiterate yet one of their sons became a franciscan friar. i have a copy of a letter he wrote - obviously someone taught him how to read and write outside of his home, perhaps the franciscans. in any event i would not rule that out yet.

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zinnia
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by zinnia »

Hi Tom- you're right, but in this case the person in question is the father on the birth certificate, and it's his profession I am wondering about. I want to post the certificates of two of the children, my grandfather and his sister, for other people to look at, because now I'm wondering if the analfabeta is referring to the two people who are the witnesses for the birth, and not my great-grandparents, the parents on the certificate. In that case, the Salesian thing may be something to pursue. The word is capitalized on both certificates. Do you know how to post a document to this forum?
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by dragoni »

zinnia:

i have tried and failed to use image shack to post documents. folks on the forum seem to understand it better than i. for those more competent folks zinnia needs some help here. you will be able to send them a jpeg file through email and they can post.

usually, the notations that a person does not read or write are for those who appeared before the officials (sono comparsi...)not the person in question. so i would advise that the individual being identified as illiterate is most likely one or both of the parents.

tom
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by johnnyonthespot »

zinnia wrote:In the late 1880's in Alia, Sicily, my great grandfather's profession is listed on several of his children's birth records as "Maistere" or possibly "Maistero". I have looked very closely at the words, and I am pretty confident of the letters. However, even in an on-line Sicilian-English dictionary, I find no such word. Can anyone help? Thanks-
In the "New Italian and English Dictionary in Two Parts", "maistero" is given as "teaching, degree". A similar spelling (Maisteri) is the Finnish equivalent of "Master" as in Master of Science, Master of Arts, etc.

I would suggest that your ancestor may have been a teacher or schoolmaster.


PS: The book referenced above was published in 1835, lending credence to the possibility that the term is possibly outdated / no longer used.
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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by wldspirit »

ImageShack Tutorial
by Nuccia.......

Link

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Re: Can someone translate this word?

Post by zinnia »

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies to my question. Johnny on the Spot, special thanks to you for finding the word in that old dictionary. I have added these replies to my records for future reference.
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