"dit" is from a French naming custom of those days. It means something like "also known as." A man may have had two surnames separated by the term "dit." I haven't researched this further so I cannot give any more info at present. Perhaps some enterprising researcher can find the true definition somewhere. Stan swickman@twmi.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: <tkerwin@comcast.net> To: <MIMACKIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 11:54 AM Subject: [MIMac] Re: parents for Archange Dumouchel > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/HGB.2ACI/450.2 > > Message Board Post: > > Have you considered that "dit" could mean - "ditto" or in some cases "do" meaning - "same as above". Census takers used those to shorthand devices instead of writing the last name for each family member. >

"Dit" (also known as, called) is related to the verb "dire" (to say, to tell) per Larousse. What I like about "dit" is that the custom survives in African-American communities in the forms of "AKA" and "BKA" (better known as). Here in the vicinity of Akron, Ohio, I see a lot of obits of African-American men--many of them, sadly, only in their forties, my classmates and peers--with both their given names and the names they were known by. Jeff ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stan Wickman" <swickman@twmi.rr.com> To: <MIMACKIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 7:39 PM Subject: Re: [MIMac] Re: parents for Archange Dumouchel > "dit" is from a French naming custom of those days. It means something like > "also known as." A man may have had two surnames separated by the term > "dit." I haven't researched this further so I cannot give any more info at > present. Perhaps some enterprising researcher can find the true definition > somewhere. > > Stan > swickman@twmi.rr.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <tkerwin@comcast.net> > To: <MIMACKIN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 11:54 AM > Subject: [MIMac] Re: parents for Archange Dumouchel > > > > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > > > Classification: Query > > > > Message Board URL: > > > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/HGB.2ACI/450.2 > > > > Message Board Post: > > > > Have you considered that "dit" could mean - "ditto" or in some cases "do" > meaning - "same as above". Census takers used those to shorthand devices > instead of writing the last name for each family member. > > > >