| Perhaps a translation of some of the more common aspects of heraldry into various languages might help with some of the more obscure blazons seen. I think it is really interesting that the more common an item is in heraldry, the easier it is to say.
Various Colors and heraldic tinctures |
| English | Francais | Deutsch | Español | Italiano | Nederlands | Portugués |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blue | bleu | blau | azul | blu | blauw | azul |
| green | vert | gr{u^}n | verde | verde | groen | verde |
| red | rouge | rot | rojo | rosso | rood, blozend | vermelho |
| black | noir | schwarz | negro | nero | zwart | preto |
| purple | pourpre | purpurrot | morado or púrpura | viola | purperen | roxo |
| yellow | jaune | gelb | amarillo | giallo | geel | amarelo |
| gold | or | Gold | oro | oro | gulden, gouden | ouro |
| white | blanc | weiss (wei{sz}) | blanco | bianco | blanco, blank, oningevuld, wit | branco |
| silver | argent | Silber | plata | argento | zilveren | prata |
| English | Francais | Deutsch | Español | Italiano | Nederlands | Portugués(3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure | azur | blau | azur | azzuro | azuurofblauw | azul,celester, blau ou safira |
| Gules | gueules | rot | gules | rosso | keelofrood | vermelho, sangue, sanguinho, goles ou rubi |
| Purpure | pourpre | purpur | púrpura | porpora | purper | púrpura,jacinto ou ametista |
| Sable | sable | schwarz | sable | nero | sabelofzwart | negro, preto ou sable |
| Vert | sinople | gr{u^}n | sinople | verde | sinopelofgroen | verde, sinopla ou esmeralda |
| Argent | argent | silbern | platao argent | argento | zilver | prata, branco, argante ou arjante |
| Or | or | golden | oro | oro | goud | ouro, amarelo ou topázio |
| ermine | hermines | arminhos | ||||
| counter-ermine, ermines | Contra-arminhos | |||||
| vair | vair, beffroi | Feh, grossmustrigesFeh | veros | vajo granvajo | vaar, vair, drierijenpelswerken | veiros |
| counter-vair | contre-vair | Gegenfeh | contraveros | controvajo | tegenvaar | contra-veiros |
| vair in pale | beffroidevairenpal | grossmustrigesPfahlfeh | verosenpunta | granvajoinpalo | drierijenvairpaalswijs | |
| potent | vairpotencé | Kr{u^}ckenfeh | verospotenzas | vajopotenziato | krukkenvair |
| English | Francais | Deutsch | Español | Italiano | Nederlands | Portugués(4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chapé | chapé | Spitze | cortinado | cappato-incappato | gekapt | |
| chaussé | chaussé | gest�rzte Spitze | calzado | calzato | gekoust | |
| chevronny | chevronné | gesparrt | cabriado | sccaglionato o capriolato | gekeperd | |
| embattled | crénelé | zinnenf�rmig | almenado | merlato | gekanteeld | |
| flanches, flasques or voiders | flanqué | bogenflanken | flanquisado | fiancato | gebogen flank | |
| gyronny of 6 | gironné de 6 piéces | sechsfach gest�ndert | jironado en 6 piezas | gheronato o grembiato di 6 pezzi | gegeerd van 6 st. | gironado |
| gyronny of 8 | gironné de 8 piéces | achtfach gest�ndert | jironado en 8 piezas | gheronato di 8 pezzi | gegeerd van 8 st. | gironado |
| indented | ámanché | mit Spitzen gespalten | encajado | inchiavato | ingehoekt | |
| per bend | tranché | schr�ggeteilt | tronchado | trinciato | geschuind | fendido |
| per bend raguly | crénelé á plomb | schr�gzinnenf�rmig | nudoso | loodrecht gekanteeld | ||
| per bend sinister | taillé | schr�glinksgeteilt | tajado | tagliato | links geschuind | talhado |
| per fess | coupé | geteilt | cortado | troncato o spaccato | doorsneden | cortado |
| per fess, the base also per fess | recoupé | wiedergeteilt | cortado, 2 cortado | ritroncato | dubbel doorsneden | cortado, 2 cortado |
| per fess, the base per pale | coupé, mi-parti | geteilt und halbgespalten | cortado y medio partido | troncato-semipartito | doorsneden, onder gedeeld | |
| per pale | parti | gespalten | partido | partito | gedeeld | partido |
| per pale the sinister also per pale | reparti | wiedergespalten | partido, 2 partido | ripartito | tweemaal gedeeld | |
| per pale, the sinister per fess | parti, mi-coupé | gespalten und halbgeteilt | partido y medio cortado | partito-semitroncato | gedeeld, links doorsneden | |
| per pall or tierced pallwise | tiercé en pairle | im Deichelschnitt geteilt | terciado en perla | interzato in pergola | gaffelgewijs in drie�n or gaffelgewijze gedeeld | |
| per saltire | franchado ou esquartelado em aspa | |||||
| quarterly | écartelé | geviert | cuartelado | inquartato | gevierendeeld | esquartelado |
| tierced bendwise | tiercé en bande | zweimal schr�ggeteilt | terciado en banda | interzato in banda | geschuind in drie�n | terciado em banda |
| tierced palewise | tiercé en pal | zweimal gespalten | terciado en pal | interzato in palo | gedeeld in drie�n | terciado em pala |
| tierced per bend sinister | tiercé en barre | zweimal schr�glinksgeteilt | terciado en barra | interzato in sbarra | links geschuind in drie�n | terciado em barra |
| tierced per fess | tiercé en fasce | zweimal geteilt | terciado en faja | interzato in fascia | doorsneden in drie�n | terciado em faixa |
| vetu | vétu | durchgehende Raute | losange vestido | vestito | gekapt gekoust | |
| wavy or undy | ondé | wellengeteilt | ondeado | ondato | gegolfd |
| English | Francais | Deutsch | Español | Italiano | Nederlands | Portugués(4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| base | pointe | Schildf� | punta | punta | eindepunt | ponta ou contrachefe |
| bordure | bordure | Schildrand | bordura | bordura | zoom, boordsel | bordadura |
| bordure this appears to be a thinner bordure than above) | filiére | Saum | filiera | filiera | smalle zoom | |
| bordure indented | dentelure | gez�hnelt | dentellado | dentatura | zeer smal getande zoom | |
| canton | canton | Obereck | cantón | cantone | kanton (schildhoek) | cantão |
| chief | chef | Schildhaupt | jefe, xeff | capo | schildhoofd | chefe |
| chief embattled | chef bastillé | Zinnenschildhaupt | jefe atalayado | merlato rovesciato | benedenwaards getinneerd of gekanteeld schildhoofd | |
| chief (in) | haussé | erh�ht | alzado | alzato | verhoogd | |
| gyron | giron | St�nder | jiron | gherone | geer | giron |
| pile | pile | Keil | pila | pila punt | uitgaande van het schildhoofd | |
| pile issuing from the base | pointe | Steigender Keil | pira | pila rovesciata | punt uitgaande van de schildvoet | |
| tierce | tierces | Drillingsbalken | tercias | terza | drielingsbalken | |
| bend | bande | Schr�gbalken | banda | banda | rechter schuinbalk (band) | banda |
| bendlet | cotice | Schr�gleiste | cotiza | cotissa | smalle schuinbalk | |
| bend sinister | barre | Schr�glinksbalken | barra | sbarra | linker schuinbalk (baar) | barra ou contrabanda |
| bendlet sinister | cotice-barre | Schr�glinksleiste | contracotiza | traversa | versmalde linker schuinbalk | |
| chevron | chevron | Sparren | cabria | scaglione or capriolo | keper | xevron |
| fess | fasce | Balken | faja | fascia | dwarsbalk | faixa, faxa |
| fess wavy or undy | fasce ondée | Wellenbalken (Querfl�) | faja ondeada | fascia ondata | golvende dwarsbalk | |
| orle or escutcheon void | orle | Innenbord | orla | cinta | binnenzoom | |
| tressure | trécheur ou essonnier | doppelter Innebord | trechor | doppia cinta | smalle dubbele binnenzoom | |
| saltire | aspa | |||||
| pale | pal | Pfahl | palo | palo | paal | pala |
| pall or pairle | pairle | Deichsel | perla | pergola | gaffel | |
| pall reversed or inverted | pairle renversé | G�pel | perla renversada | pergola rovesciata | omgekeerde gaffel | |
| Miscellaneous | ||||||
| roundel | tourteau | Scheibe von Farbe | roel | torta | koek | torteau |
| plate (roundel argent) | plate | silberne Scheibe | bezante de argent | bisante di argento | zilveren besant | besante de prata |
| bezant | besant | M�nze, Metallscheibe | bezante | bisante | besant | besante |
(1) Modern words were found using the excellent translation tool at Altavista's® BabelFish using Systran technologies.
(2) most of these items have been received from The International Illustrated Glossary
(3) Portuguese items were found within documents such as Arms and Family History (en Portugués)
(choose the link entitled "Saiba mais sobre héraldica")
(4) A Glossary of terms, and armorial for Portuguese arms may be found here: Héraldica Portuguesa
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This page (and sub-pages and articles) are published by S L Niemann, known in the SCA as Ines Alfón, for the edification of the members of the SCA. It is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. and does not delineate SCA policies. In cases of conflict with printed versions of material presented on these pages or its links, the dispute will be decided in favor of the printed version unless otherwise indicated. Opinions expressed are those of the authors.