3

This is not a pure Italian translation issue, it looks, after investigation and discussion with Italian native speakers, a question more related of how professions are recorded in Calabria (or whole Italy?).

The question is related to a record from the 19th century located in Calabria. I do not know if the registers are in Italian or are in Calabrese (notice during that period Italian unification happened, so each country was having a different language/dialect).

I have noticed that several registers include Italian adjectives as professions, more concretely the professions "civile" and "legale" (which translates to civil and legal in English).

  • What do "civile" and "legale" mean exactly in English as professions?
  • How are professions recorded in Italian (Calabrian) records?
0

2 Answers 2

5

In 19th Century Italian documents, I've seen avvocato for lawyer, as well as legista. While legale translates as law, like you I've been unable to find a conclusive answer. However, if not lawyer as we understand the term today, it shows legal knowledge, perhaps one who gives legal counsel and, thus, a person in a higher position in society, as does civile. Civile translates as civilized, a middle class citizen, someone who was well off (and perhaps a landowner although other terms were used, such as possidente, one who owns, and proprietario, literally owner). I lack insight into Calabrian records, as my research has been confined to Campania.

5
  • I have, recently, found a person that was said to be a "legale" to be a "dottore di legge". I have found a significant number of "civile" in the same city, looks that at least that profession is not conclusive. Aug 31, 2016 at 21:07
  • @Trebia Project: even better, as dottore di legge shows an educated person, those in the upper social strata
    – Giorgio
    Aug 31, 2016 at 22:13
  • I would say that legale is clear now thanks to dottore finding, but civile not yet. Sep 1, 2016 at 5:56
  • @Trebia Project: this excerpt from one of a series of Cambridge studies in Italian history and culture might do it: Society and the Professions in Italy 1860 - 1914: catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam031/94047222.pdf
    – Giorgio
    Sep 1, 2016 at 13:15
  • I have not found civile in your reference, but I found this webpage this very morning: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mmange/itengocc.html It was really difficult to find... easy when you know the keywords. Basically confirms your answer. Thanks Sep 1, 2016 at 19:40
3

In the archives of the Mezzogiorno we find civile used in different manners - as noted here already, at times we find it used more liberally to include the middle class but quite often it in fact denotes a more elevated class.

I have controlled records where nobles were listed as "civile" and even more often as "legale" which at times was used to denote an actual legal class that thanks to a real dispaccio di ferdinand iv, gave families that held that class for 3 generations and did not enter a more base line profession or marry a lower class family, they would potentially meet requirements to apply to become recognized as nobles (the third class of nobility, first being ancient feudal families - nobilta generosa, second class being the families that gained nobility from service to the crown - nobilta di Privilego, and the third being the families that are often listed as "legale""

1.3.) PRIMO CETO "FAMIGLIE NOBILI" - TERZA CATEGORIA "NOBILTA' LEGALE O CIVILE": comprenda quelli, [i]i quali facciano costare avere così essi (*), che il loro Padre, ed Avo vissuto in Città demaniale, e regia, escluse le baronali, sempre civilmente con decoro, e comodità, senza esercitare carica, e impiego basso, e popolare, e sono sempre stati riputati dal Pubblico Uomini onorati, e dabbene. Quella della terza equivalga alla seconda, e comprenda anche i Negozianti di Cambio, o sia di Ragione, i di cui Padre, ed Avo abbiano esercitato lo stesso impiego, e non altro d’inferior condizione. Con i Figli delli Ufiziali Subalterni si abilitano ancora quelli degli Uditori di Provincia, e di Governatori Regj: i primi all’età di 16 anni, i secondi in quella di anni 18. E finalmente i Figli de’ Mercanti di lana, e di seta, de’ quali il Padre, ed Avo abbiano fatto ugual negozio, possian essere aggraziati a servire da Cadetti solamente nell’età di anni 18.

For some further classification of possidente and propretario - in many cases we find possidente to mean someone not working and living off of a pension of some business or inheritance, whereas propretario often suggests the owner of the land/business is more directly involved in the management/trading of the operation. A possidente may have had someone to do this. Granted both are used interchangeably and alone don't qualify any family into any sort of class.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.