In the course of reviewing some records, I'm having to wrap my head around some of the terms used to describe various types of newspaper content. Is there a somewhat "generally accepted" definition of the following 9 terms?
- Birth Announcement vs. Birth Notice
- Engagement Announcement vs. Engagement Notice
- Marriage Announcement vs. Marriage Notice
- Death Announcement vs. Death Notice vs. Obituary
Based on how I've seen the terms used; it seems like a "Notice" is a brief and to-the-point form of an "announcement". It also appears that an "Obituary" contains biographical details pertaining to an individual than an "Announcement" or a "Notice"; much of which may have nothing to do with the name, date/place of death or funeral arrangements.
In the literature I've seen, nobody appears to offer a clear and consistent definition of the noted terms. In fact, many sources seem to be in conflict with each other.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, History-Hunter. My…
Hello, History-Hunter. My take is the same as yours. "Notice" is a brief notice. "Announcements" and "Obituaries" are more-often written by family members, at some length. And, no, I've not seen anyone lay down rules anywhere that says one term or the other can only be used if certain conditions exist.