The following terms may be helpful when reading source records, Norse-language newspapers, Rolvaag Collection obituaries, or other Norse documents within the NAHA Archives.
| Word | Definition |
| amt | name used before 1919 for the main political divisions of Norway |
| attest | certificate |
| barn | child/children |
| begravet | buried |
| bestefar | grandfather |
| bestemor | grandmother |
| bror | brother |
| bruker | user/farmer |
| bygd | community/area |
| bygdebøker | local histories of particular areas of Norway |
| bygdelag | an organization of people from a particular area of Norway |
| datter | daughter |
| døde | died |
| døpt | baptized |
| dreng | boy/hired man |
| ekte | legitimate |
| ektemann | husband |
| enke | widow |
| enkemann | widower |
| fadder | witness at a baptism |
| far | father |
| farfar | paternal grandfather |
| farmor | paternal grandmother |
| fattig | poor |
| fetter | male cousin |
| født | born |
| gård or gard | farm |
| gardmann | farmer |
| gift | married |
| gudfar | godfather |
| gudmor | godmother |
| herred or herad | a Norwegian township |
| husmann | cotter |
| kirke | church |
| kirkebøker | church registers containing birth, confirmation, marriage & death records |
| kommune | a municipality in Norway |
| kone | wife |
| konfirmert | confirmed |
| kusine | female cousin |
| mor | mother |
| morfar | maternal grandfather |
| mormor | maternal grandmother |
| odel | property held in an alodial system |
| odelsrett | right to hold property |
| oldefar | great grandfather |
| oldemor | great grandmother |
| pike | girl |
| prest | clergyman, ministor, pastor |
| prestegjeld | a church clerical district, usually containing more than one parish |
| skifte | settle an estate |
| skjøte | deed of conveyance |
| sogn or sokn | a church parish |
| sogneprest or sokneprest | parish pastor |
| sønn | son |
| søskenbarn | cousin (either gender) |
| søster | sister |
| tippoldefar | great great grandfather |
| tippoldemor | great great grandmother |
| uekte | illegitimate |
| vaksinasjonsattest | vaccination certificate |