There are a lot of phrases and words frequently used in Louis Prudomme’s Dictionary of People who were condemned to death. They will have you chained to an online translator for eternity. To make it easier for you, I’ve listed some of those words and phrases that show up on a regular basis with their simple definitions
| père | father | comme | as |
| l’aine | the oldest son | convaincu | convinced |
| cadet | the youngest son | dit/dite | also know as |
| jeune | young, junior, youth | ci-devant | from before, former |
| fils | son | séante | court assembly |
| fille majeur | daughter/girl of legal age | d’arrêt | arrest. warrant |
| femme | wife | detenu | detained |
| veuve | widow | faux | false, fake |
| complice | accomplice | événement | event, occasion |
Phrases to Understand
| exècuted avec une chemise rouge | (convicted assassins) executed in a red shirt or similar piece of red clothing |
| mis hors la loi | outlawed, outlaw |
| de fers | many meanings, but in this context, it means “iron” most likely ‘in chains” |
| où il étoit dentenu | where he was detained |
Brief Meaning of Charges and Crimes
| brigand de la Vendee | one who lives by plunder usually as a member of a band | ||
| (m)conspirateur/conspiratrice (f) | one who conspires, a conspirater | ||
| fédéraliste | adhering to a political system * see definitions of federalism | ||
| prévaricateur | a corrupt official | ||
| émigré | fleeing the country | ||
| réfractaire | strong opposition to the law | ||
| contre-révolutionaire | counter-revolution; fighting against the emerging French republic | ||
Meanings of Punishment
| condamnés à morte | condemned to death |
| condamnés à la deportation | condemned to exile |
| condamnés à la detention | condemned to prison (for a period of months or years) |