Daily Ancestorfattiglem
A fattiglem was a pauper supported by the parish or municipality because of poverty, age or illness, a term used in Norway until 1900.
SNL notes that the word was used in everyday speech and in official records such as church books and censuses. A fattiglem might live on legd, passed from farm to farm in turn for a couple of weeks at a time, or be supported by the parish. Legdslem and almisselem meant much the same.
The Poor Law of 1845, Norway's first uniform poor law, named the deserving poor as insane persons, orphans under 15, and the old, disabled and sick. The term lasted until the poor law of 1900.
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How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "fattiglem." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/norwegian/fattiglem. Last checked 2026-10-28.