What Do Those Initials Mean?
Initials after your ancestor's names may provide useful information that you'd not expected. 
The following list includes initials you may come across when reading old wills or other documents.

a.a.s.    died in the year of his/her age (anno aetitis suae) ( 86 y/o died
in year 86)
d.s.p.    died without issue (decessit sine prole legitima)
d.s.p.l.  died without legitimate issue (decessit sine prole
        mascula supesita)
d.s.p.m.s.  died without surviving male issue (decessit sine
        prole mascula supersita)
d.s.p.s  died without surviving issue (decessit sine prole
        supersita)
d.unm   died unmarried
d.v.p.  died in the lifetime of his father (decessit vita patris)
d.v.m.  died in the lifetime of his mother (decessit vita matris)
Et al   and others (et alia)
Inst    present month (instans)
Liber   book or volume
Nepos   grandson
Nunc    Nuncapative will, an oral will, written by a witness
Ob      he/she died (obit)
Relict  widow or widower (relicta/relictus)
Sic     so or thus, exact copy as written
Testes  witnesses
Utl     late (ultimo)
Ux or vs  wife (uxor)
Viz     namely (videlicet)

The above information is copied from an e-mail sent through the Missouri Mail list.

Mary Hudson [email protected]
April 07, 2000