Motto

A motto (derived from the Latin muttum, 'mutter', by way of Italian motto, 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mottos (or mottoes) are usually found predominantly in written form (unlike slogans, which may also be expressed orally), and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events, such as a civil war or a revolution. A motto may be in any language, but Latin has been widely used, especially in the Western world. Latin has been very common for mottos in the Western World, but for nation states, their official national language is generally chosen. Examples of using other historical languages in motto language include: County of Somerset in England: Sumorsǣte ealle (All the men of Somerset), Anglo-Saxon. South Cambridgeshire in the English Fens: Niet Zonder Arbyt (Nothing without work), Dutch, originally the motto of Dutchman Cornelius Vermuyden, who drained The Fens in the 17th century. South Africa: ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke (Unity in diversity), ǀXam. Shire of Shetland: Með lögum skal land byggja (By law shall the land be built up), Old Norse. A canting motto is one that contains word play. For example, the motto of the Earl of Onslow is Festina lente (literally 'make haste slowly'), punningly interpreting 'on slow'. Similarly, the motto of the Burgh of Tayport, Te oportet alte ferri (It is incumbent on you to carry yourself high), is a cant on 'Tayport at auld Tay Ferry', also alluding to the local lighthouse. The motto of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity, is a backronym of the letters F.B.I. United in diversity, the motto of the European Union (EU) In God We Trust, the motto of the United States (US) Je maintiendrai (French for "I will maintain"), the motto of the Netherlands Dieu et mon droit (French for "God and my right"), is the motto of the monarch of the United Kingdom.