motto n : a favorite saying of a sect or political group [syn: slogan, catchword, shibboleth] [also: mottoes (pl)]

see Motto

English

Etymology

motto (a word, a saying), muttum (a mutter, a grunt).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒtəʊ

Noun

1. A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
2. A sentence, phrase, or word, prefixed to an essay, discourse, chapter, canto, or the like, suggestive of its subject matter; a short, suggestive expression of a guiding principle; a maxim.

   "It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety and good works, ... Serve God, and be cheerful." -Addison.

Translations

• Czech: motto
• Finnish: motto, tunnuslause
• German: Motto
• Spanish: lema
• Portuguese: lema

Finnish

Noun

1. A sentence or a phrase with guiding principle.

Japanese

Adverb

1. more

A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism, sentence) is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottos of governments.

Heraldry

In heraldry, a motto is often depicted in an achievement of arms typically on a scroll below the shield or else above the crest as in Scots heraldry.

In English and Scottish heraldry mottoes are not granted with armorial bearings, and may be adopted and changed at will. Although very unusual and perhaps outside regular heraldic practice, there are some examples of the particular appearance of the motto scroll and letters thereon being blazoned.

A canting motto is one that contains word play. For example, the motto of the Earl of Onslow is Festina lente, punningly interpreting on-slow (literally "make haste slowly").

The motto of the County of Somerset is in Anglo-Saxon; that of South Cambridgeshire in the English Fens is in Dutch.

Ships and submarines in the Royal Navy each have a badge and motto, as do units of the Royal Air Force.

See also

• Epigram
• Inscription
• List of Latin phrases
• Slogan
• Tagline
• Tripartite motto

Notes

achievement, adage, alerion, ana, analects, animal charge, annulet, aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, axiom, azure, bandeau, banner, banner head, bar, bar sinister, baton, battle cry, bearings, bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, byword, cadency mark, canton, caption, catchword, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, coat of arms, cockatrice, collected sayings, coronet, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, cry, current saying, device, dictate, dictum, difference, differencing, distich, drop head, dropline, eagle, epigram, epigraph, epithet, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, expression, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, gnome, golden saying, griffin, guide, gules, gyron, hanger, hatchment, head, heading, headline, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, inscription, jump head, label, legend, lion, lozenge, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, maxim, metal, moral, mot, mullet, nombril point, octofoil, or, oracle, ordinary, orle, overline, pale, paly, pean, pheon, phrase, pithy saying, precept, prescript, principle, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, purpure, quarter, quartering, rallying cry, rose, rubric, rule, running head, running title, sable, saltire, saw, saying, scarehead, screamer, scutcheon, sentence, sententious expression, shibboleth, shield, slogan, sloka, spread, spread eagle, spreadhead, stock saying, streamer, subhead, subheading, subordinary, subtitle, superscription, sutra, tag line, teaching, tenne, text, tincture, title, title page, torse, tressure, unicorn, vair, verse, vert, war cry, watchword, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, wreath, yale