Feu is NOT a name (French Canadian names)

Started by Joel Morin on Wednesday, March 3, 2021
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Bonjour -
I'd just like to point out that the word FEU that many have applied as a name to their profiles is actually not a name.
It's simply a convention that indicates that the person being referred to is deceased at the time the church record or obituary is written.

When you're working on your French Canadian ancestors, please don't use the word 'feu' in their name.
If you come across someone named feu something and are feeling a bit generous, please take a few seconds and delete it

tks
Joel

I totally agree with that. What-s the point ? Where the FEU has been used ?

Thank you,

I’m not sure to what names you are referring to from your letter.

Feu mean that the person is dead but we shouldn’t use it anymore. I have a lot of ancestors that have Feu before their name and it’s real’y annoying.

Thank you for the information, I was wondering what feu was referring to :)

Thanks. And unk means unknown. However, It is actually a surname (Dutch I think) also. Had me going for a time.

If it is there it isn't intentional and french are more sensitive. If I can figure out what your referring to or an example I will change it.

It is the same issue with "fu" in Italian.

@robertPaquet + @Peggy + @CarlaThiessen
to your comments:

see the following profile as an example.
-The name indicated is Feu Anne Philippe. Her name is Anne Philippe. Feu is garbage data. It was never part of her name in life.
- Feu is being used mistakenly as the first given name in profiles and should be edited out when encountered.

Anne Philippe

the meaning of the word FEU referred to a deceased person ...it's not connected with the name of the person...

In reply toJoel Morin, you messaged the wrong guy. I don't follow Geni/Cdn portal(?), have no French Canadian ancestors, and had no idea what "feu" means, except "fire" when speaking French.

The English equivalent is "the late,"

@James Angus Elliott

Thanks for adding that! Exactly! :)

@David Rogers
Sorry I have no idea why this is finding its way to your inbox - it's a group discussion... I suspect you may somehow be subscribed?

J

Hi Joel,

Most of my ancestors are from France to Quebec it’s been a nightmare not knowing a lot of French. My parents being French did not think we might need it. 🙁 I came across another add on Hétu can you help me. Greatly appreciated.

Shirley

Indeed, It is not a name but a convention used to simply indicate that the person is death.
It is usefull like «  the late « .......

Repentigny le 6 mars 2021
Oui M. Joël Morin vous avez raison , feu n'est pas un nom . Merci de l'avoir signalé..

Repentigny March 6th 2021 ,
Yes Mr Morin you are the word "feu" is not a name , thanks for your comment .

Merci Joel Morin, vous avez raison. Though we still use it today, it does not have its place as a descriptor in genealogy: neither name, surname nor given name. Often the published obituary (nécrologie) column will refer to it which is why I think it can get pulled into the data files. By preceding a name with Feu (which literally means fire), you know that person as died.

Yes true fact :) Merci de le préciser car certain pourrait l'interpréter autrement.

Could they have meant Veuve for Widow

@di Harnden

Nope. Feu is a very common expression found in church records and obits. Not sure of the origin...
As others have correctly pointed out, it's like saying "the late suzy smith" in english.

We don't use 'the late' in any of our profile names nor should we use 'feu'

(and in your example they would likely say Anne Deschamps, veuve de feu charles couture' - and his name was charles couture sans feu :) )

by the way, I'm also seeing a lot of folks using 'dit' for alternate spellings of the same name (e.g. Fradet dit Fradette) that's not proper use of 'dit '(meaning aka) - but that's another discussion post :)

bonne journee,

Joel

Thanks Joel for pointing that out. ... both "Feu" and "Dit". A common and understandable error. Merci.

Bonjour à tous, I agree with Joel Morin. I also found a definition of FEU that is new to me but it is related to genealogy. Feu was long the most common form of land tenure in Scotland, as conveyancing in Scots law was dominated by feudalism until the Scottish Parliament passed the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000.[Note 1] The word is the Scots variant of fee.[Note 2] The English had in 1660 abolished these tenures, with An Act taking away the Court of Wards..., since 1948 known as the Tenures Abolition Act 1660. I hope this helps. Marcel Dillon from Ontario, Canada

Merci Marcel Dillon! J'en ai encore appris aujourd'hui, et Joel Morin pour le sujet de cette discussion. Louise Chèvrefils, Châteauguay, Québec, Canada

@Marcel Dillon -
Cool!
Another history lesson!

Do you have a link to that? I'd like to read up on it

Joel, I simply Google the word FEU.

Here is a definition that I got from the government of Canada.
Voici un exemple tiré du gouvernement canadien.

Feu

L’adjectif feu vient du latin vulgaire fatutus qui, jusqu’au début du 11e siècle, avait le sens de « malheureux », « qui a une mauvaise destinée ». Puis, vers 1172, il a pris le sens de « mort », « qui a accompli sa destinée ». De nos jours, l’adjectif feu signifie « décédé depuis peu de temps ». On peut aussi l’employer pour désigner une chose qui n’existe plus (feu le restaurant Henri-Burger). L’expression est de registre littéraire ou juridique.

L’adjectif feu s’accorde en genre et en nombre avec le nom qu’il accompagne s’il est placé entre le déterminant et le nom.

la feue princesse Diana
nos feus parents
tes feues tantes
Il demeure invariable s’il est placé devant le nom et son déterminant, ou s’il n’y a pas de déterminant :

feu nos parents
feu madame Desmarais
feu Marguerite Tremblay
L’adjectif feu est généralement placé devant le nom auquel il se rapporte. On le rencontre rarement placé après le nom. Dans un tel cas, il s’agit d’une « liberté de poète ». L’adjectif feu s’accorde alors avec le nom qu’il accompagne :

se détruira-t-elle comme les fleurs feues… (Arthur Rimbaud)

Have a great day!

Sometimes, feu is replaced by 'défunt" or "défunte" (woman) in acts.

Merci DHD :)

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