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SweGGate StarGuide ®
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This page is only for Job Titles. Additional glossaries here:
| General | Abbreviations | Relational (like father, brother etc) |
| Bruk - Iron industry | Legal system |
| Introduction There are several job titles explained in the other dictionaries but for convenience many of them are listed here with links to the explanation. Since spelling is sometimes a problem the titles are listed in groups rather than alphabetically. Use Ctrl-F in your browser to search for words but try different spellings. Please note that the letters å, ä and ö are sorted after z in the alphabet in Swedish but on English/US computers sometimes å and ä with a and ö with o. |
| Title | T | Explanation |
| General | ||
| arb, arbetare | A | = worker, labourer |
| ängsv. ängsvaktare | O | literally field guard - guarding the domestic animals on graze land against predators. Usually paid by the socken. |
| hagv., hagvaktare | O | = ängsvaktare. |
| inhyse(s)hjon | O | see gen. dict. |
| rotehjon | O | poor person (hjon) cared for by the rote |
| bygdehjon | O | poor person (hjon), supported by the socken. cf rotehjon. |
| fattighjon | O | = pauper |
| dagkarl, dagakarl, dagekarl | O | = day-worker, an unskilled general labourer, employed and
paid day-by-day. (plural: add -ar). At the start of the reign of king Gustaf Eriksson (Vasa) (abt 1523) a "dagakarl" with a scythe was paid 4 "vitten" and other "dagakarl" 1 "skilling". cf. dagsverke. |
| dagslönskarl | = dagkarl. (dagslön = day's wage). | |
| lösdräng | O | dräng (farm hand/labourer) on short term contracts (< 1/2 year contracts). Used at least from 17th century. |
| vagabond | O | = vagrant. cf luffare |
| luffare | O | = vagrant. cf vagabond |
| Government | [definite from ending, plural ending] | |
| landshövding | A |
From land (here a form of län) and hövding = chief. The top official in the län, president of the länsstyrelse. |
| befallningshavande, befallningsman, befälhavare | O | From befallning = (n) order, directive and havande
= having. Used for several supervisor / commander positions. Examples: "Konungens Befallningshavande" = "K.B." or "Kunglig Majestäts Befallningshavande" ="K M.ts B" - the government for a län (county). Term used 1855 - 1918. After that named länsstyrelse. In legal texts also used for senior officers in the old county organization, like kronofogde. Befälhavare is mostly used in military titles = commander (all levels) |
| tolvman | [-nen, tolvmän] Lay member (a Nämndeman) of the district court häradsrätt. There were 12 of those - hence the name (tolv = 12). This was a commission of trust. | |
| nämndeman | [-nen, nämndemän] Member of the district court häradsrätt. | |
| häradshövding | [-en, -ar] President of the district court häradsrätt. | |
| häradsdomare | [-n, =] Honorary title for the oldest member of the district court häradsrätt. | |
| fogde | ||
| kronofogde | ||
| häradsskrivare | O | [-n,=] Civil servant in the länsstyrelse (county government) responsible for a fögderi (a defined geographical area). Main tasks included census organization, compiling of taxation and real estate registers, calculating and billing of estate taxes etc. |
| fjärdingsman | O | Subordinate
assistant to the police authority. Title known at least since 1530. Originally one
person for 1/4 of a härad (fjärding = 1/4) but later one per
parish. Served as debt collector, keeping order in public places, checking
roads etc. Originally selected by the häradsfogde (according to a law from 1593) but from 1850 employed by the kommunalstämma. (SFS 1850, # 29). Title abolished in 1954. |
| sexman | [-nen, sexmän) a member of the parish selected as a supervisor for the maintenance of the church and parsonage as well as of discipline and good habits of the parishioners. This was a commission of trust. It was abandoned by a change in the church law in 1862. cf tolvman | |
| tullnär | O | [-en, -er] Old title for a custom's officer. Modern title is tulltjänsteman or coll. "tullare" |
| gränsridare | O | [=,=] Until 1923 the lowest rank of border customs officer. Later named gränsuppsyningsman. |
| Legal | ||
| see legal system | ||
| Bruk people | People working in the iron industry | |
| see Bruk dictionary | ||
| Miltary | more military ranks | |
| överste | O | military rank = colonel. See officer |
| överstelöjtnant | O | military rank = lieutenant colonel. See officer |
| överfurir | O | military rank. See underbefäl. |
| vicekorpral | O | lowest military rank. See underbefäl. |
| soldat, sold. | A | = soldier |
| rotesoldat | A | soldier recruited from a rote - see recruitment system |
| jägare | A | a kind of infantry soldier with light arms and high mobility |
| båtsman | O | regular navy soldier |
| reservbåtsman | O | regular navy soldier (= båtsman) but in the reserves |
| stadsbåtsman | O | båtsman from town or city recruited (as opposed to drafted) by special rules >more> |
| fotjägare | O | a kind of infantry soldier |
| hästjägare | O | a kind of cavalry soldier on foot |
| väbel | A | (German: vebel or feldvebel). A lower-rank officer ("underofficer") in charge of order and discipline, dispensing punishments and the military prison. A special case is a väbel in a medical unit who also is in charge of medical equipment and supplies. Why a "prison officer" in a medical unit ? Well - medical units treat different patients, e.g. psychotic patients and enemy soldiers in which case such an officer might come in handy. |
| Farming | ||
| lantbruksbefäl | O | same as jordbruksbefäl. lantbruk = jordbruk. |
| jordbruksbefäl | O | Group of supervisor jobs on larger farms. From jordbruk = farming (jord = soil, bruk from bruka = use, cultivate) and befäl = commander, chief. There are several ranks of jordbruksbefäl - one commanding some of lower ranks. |
| förvaltare | O | highest rank of jordbruksbefäl. More independent working conditions. |
| inspektor | O | work supervisor, 2nd level of jordbruksbefäl. Note that the title inspektor is used in several other work places as well, e.g. stationsinspektor (rail station supervisor) |
| rättare | O | work supervisor, 3rd level of jordbruksbefäl. |
| ladufogde | O | title for rättare at larger farms |
| befallningsman | O | title for rättare at farms in the Skåne - Blekinge area |
| åbo | O | Legal farm user. >more> |
| torpare | O | special type of farmer >more> |
| torpardotter | O | Daughter of a torpare |
| torparson | O | Son of a torpare |
| Craftsmen | (give me tips of more titles) | |
| lärling | A | = trainee, apprentice. see Craftsmen's Training |
| gesäll | A | = journeyman. see Craftsmen's Training |
| mästare | A | = master. see Craftsmen's Training |
| flickare | O | from (old) flicka = patch up, repair. Used in some job titles like kittelflickare, skoflickare. |
| garvare | A | (garvere, gerfware, giärfware, gierfware) = tanner. |
| instrumentmakare | A | = maker of instruments, both technical and musical instruments. |
| kittelflickare | O | Craftsman repairing metal pots and pans. Kittel = (large) metal pot. cf flickare |
| konstförvant | O | also konstförvandt, literally "brother in art", old title for sättare (type-setter) or tryckare (printer /the person/). Sometimes prefixed to separate different businesses: Boktryckeri Konstförvandt (at a book printer's). |
| logarvare | A | = tanner using organic tanning methods. "lo" = tree bark used for tanning. |
| skoflickare | O | Shoemaker, or more precise a shoe repairman. cf flickare |
| snickare | A | = Carpenter. Möbelsnickare = cabinet-maker. Snickeri = carpenter's workshop. |
| skräddare | A | = Tailor. Sockenskräddare = appointed parish tailor. |
| skärslipare | O | Title / profession. Knife and scissors grinder. Several hundred years old. One of the professional guilds i.e. the were regulations as to how many persons could be in that profession in a given area at the same time. They often walked around, visiting the homes to do their work on a small cart with a grinding stone powered by a foot pedal. |
| urmakare | A | = watch / clock maker. |
| Professions at sea | ||
| Railways | ||
| Railways - General | järnväg = järnbana | |
| bandirektör | O | Director in railway company, chief of the banavdelning (rail maintenance section) |
| järnvägstjänsteman | O | Railway company (white collar) employee. Before 1908 used only about higher rank employees. Lower rank employees were then named järnsvägsbetjänt. After 1908 all white collar employees are järnvägstjänstemän. |
| järnvägsbetjänt | O | Lower rank railway company (white collar) employee. Title not used after 1908. |
| järnvägsarbetare | O | railway worker (blue collar, general term) |
| (järnvägs)konduktör | A | conductor (Eng: guard). |
| järnvägslänsman | O | Temp assignment as policeman guarding building of a railway. |
| Railways - Stations | ||
| stationsinspektor | A | Superintendent at a large rail station. Abbrev. stins |
| stationsbefälhavare | Station commander. Used in several lines of work. | |
| stationskarl | O | porter at a rail station. |
| Railways - On board | ||
| konduktör, järnvägskonduktör |
O | [pl: konduktörer] (BrEng) guard, (US Eng) conductor. |
| Railways - Tracks | ||
| baningenjör | O | Engineer responsible for inspection and maintenance of rail line(s). |
| banmästare | O | supervisor for banvaktsförmän (and the banvakter under those). |
| rallare | O | navvy = railway builder. Used in old times when tracks were built "by hand". Today rails are laid by cranes and special rail machines welding rails instead of leaving gaps at joints. |
| banarbetare | O | railway worker, working with the tracks. |
| banvaktsförman | O | [pl: banvaktsförmän] supervisor / foreman for a few banvakter. |
| banvakt | O | [pl: banvakter] (Railway) Lineman. Inspects his assigned stretch of tracks daily looking for damages. Also responsible for gates at rail/road crossings and signals/signposts along the tracks. |
| banvakterska | O | [pl: banvakterskor] female (Railway) (BrEng) Lineman, (US Eng) track-walker. |
| bangårdsförman | O | supervisor / foreman for the crew at a bangård (rail station yard). |
| Misc | ||
| handelsföreståndare | O | = store manager. |
note i brackets like this [p:staat] is
pronunciation for English speakers.
SAOB: Svenska Akademiens OrdBok, the huge standard encyclopaedia of Swedish
language.
In the "T' = Time column: O = Old times, M = Moderns
language, A = All times
Explanation by F Haeffner unless otherwise stated. Mail me 
your contribution or request.
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SweGGate | |
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| Last updated by | F Hae | 2005-05-09 21:03 | © Fredrik Haeffner, 2004-5 |