On a Catholic baptism record from the early 1800s, abbreviated titles Bapt. (for a man) and Laba. (for a woman) were used. What are the unabbreviated forms of these titles in Latin? What did the person do that had these titles? These were not the witnesses.
I don't think there's really a difference between the two or, as you said, that a Sacrament's "name" is different for men and women, since the the Baptism is the same for both sexes. Is it possible that that is no title, but just a line followed by the date in which those people were baptized? And that the date is different so there's a chance those two people were baptized by two different priests?
In that case the abbreviations most likely mean:
Baptizma (variant baptisma)
Labacrum (variant of spelling lavacrum)
The baptism record was only for one person. Under the name of the person being baptized are the 2 names that I had asked about. Those 2 names
are also shown for other baptism entries in the same record book so most likely they were performing the baptism.
In the same record book there is an entry that shows the title Baptisavi instead of the abbreviated Bapt. and for the Laba. it is different but difficult to read.
I need to think about this for a while before I can come to a better conclusion. As usual with this things the handwriting doesn't help much. Maybe someone else on the forum can give you better advice while I try to come up with a better idea.
Even if the child is an orphan, the witness has to be a man that can be trusted. So that is most likely the child's mother, if that is a feminine name.
I just looked up for a Codex Iuris Canonici, the older I could find with a quick search is from the times of Pio X, and it says
De collati baptismi adnotatione et probatione:
Parochi debent nomina baptizatorum, mentione facta de ministro, parentibus ac patrinis, de loco ac die collati baptismi, in baptisimali libro sedulo et sine ullamora referre.
Ubi vero de illegitimis filiis agatur, matris nomen est inserendum, si publice eius maternitatis constet, vel ipsa sponte sua scripto vel coram duobus testibus id petat; tem nomen patris, dummodo ipse sponte sia a parocho vel scripto vel coram duobus testibus id requirat, vel ex publico authentico documento sit notus; in ceteris casibus inscribatur natus tanquam filius patris ignoti vel ignotorum parentum.
Now, probably most of the infos (father, where?, when?...) are outside the cutout you posted (and in fact, we don't need that information per se), I think that is the name of the mother. If that is the case, the title could have to do with her job. I can't think of a feminine profession that starts with "laba", though
If my idea is correct, probably a considerable number of feminine names on the register have the same "title" (since back then there were few jobs a woman could do).
Edit, Edit, Edit: I've edited many times because I'm thinking. All three pictures have the name of the same woman, while the name of the priest changes. Unless we are talking of three brothers... I don't know. Exactly how many times the name of this woman appears on the register?
Well, the column of the mother is on the right, since it's "Mutter". While the column we were looking before is Namen des Kinders which means "Name of the children" if I can recall the little German I know. Now, I wonder why the name of the priest is written near the name of the child and who those women are, since they aren't the mother. I'll keep thinking and tonight I'll (hopefully) have some answer or I'll call myself out.
I think that is the name of the midwife. It was an optional to write it on the register. I don't know how "midwife" is said in latin and how "laba." can fit in.
Sorry if I coudn't be of more help, but that's the only idea that comes to my mind.
On the full page view, first entry, column 3, Baptizavi Damianus ... means I, Damian ..., baptised.
On later entries Bernard Hutter[?], curate, and Daniel Giz... have done the baptising.
On the full page view, first entry, column 3, Baptizavi Damianus ... means I, Damian ..., baptised.
On later entries Bernard Hutter[?], curate, and Daniel Giz... have done the baptising.
Since the register is from the Czech Republic, I wonder if @Godmy could shed any light on this. I think this woman's name appears twice on those records, whatever her role was.
Concentrating on the word itself may be a loss of time.
It'd probably be more efficient to find out why there would be in the first place someone else than the 'curatus' or 'cooperator' with their name underneath.
Asking Godmy if it's a Czech thing may not be a bad idea.
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