Do you know your country’s national motto?
Not all countries have them. Many are in Latin and other ancient languages, and most are a bit bland and include things like freedom, liberty, unity, strength, work, progress, God, etc.
Here are some more interesting ones:
– Isle of Man (Latin): Quocunque Ieceris Stabit (Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand) – refers to the triskelion on the flag.
– Luxembourg (Luxembourgish): Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn (We wish to remain what we are)
– Moldova (Romanian): Limba noastră-i o comoară (Our Language is a Treasure)
– Somalia: Go forward, and never backward
– South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Latin): Leo terram propriam protegat (Let the lion protect his own land)
– Switzerland (Latin): Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (One for all, all for on)
– Turks and Caicos Islands: Beautiful By Nature, Clean By Choice
You can see a list of them on Wikipedia, and here’s an infographic with a selection of them:
From The Translation Company blog
If you were asked to think of a new motto for your country, perhaps one that reflects how you feel about the country, what would you suggest?
Here’s a few I came up with:
Wales:
– Nid yn bwrw glaw trwy’r amser (Not Always Raining – the English version comes from Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next novels)
– Mae dreigiau yma (Here Be Dragons)
– Gwlad Gydgordiol (Harmonious Country)
England:
– Perfer et Obdura (Keep Calm and Carry On) [source]
– Let’s Not Make a Fuss
– Ignosce mihi! (Sorry!)
– Terra antiqua (The Antique Terror, or possibly the Old Land)
– Navis volitans mihi anguillis plena est (My hovercraft is full of eels)
