motto

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See also: Motto, mottó, and mòtto

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
Motto of Alabama

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Italian motto (a word, a saying), from Latin muttum (a mutter, a grunt), late 16th c.. Doublet of mot.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto (plural mottos or mottoes)

  1. (heraldry) 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.
    • 1715 June 5 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 45. Wednesday, May 25. [1715.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; [], volume IV, London: [] Jacob Tonson, [], published 1721, →OCLC:
      It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety and good works, ... Serve God, and be cheerful.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest[1]:
      [] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like
        Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer. []
  3. (obsolete) A paper packet containing a sweetmeat, cracker, etc., together with a scrap of paper bearing a motto.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

motto (third-person singular simple present mottos, present participle mottoing, simple past and past participle mottoed)

  1. (intransitive) To compose mottos.
    • 2003, Nineteenth Century Prose, volume 30, page 304:
      The singularity of his epigraphic strategy notwithstanding, Emerson does not draw attention to his own mottoing. One exchange suggests that his practice was a convention imposed from without.

Further reading[edit]

Czech[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • moto n (less common)

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto n

  1. motto
  2. epigraph

Declension[edit]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • motto in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
  • motto in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Danish[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto n (singular definite mottoet, plural indefinite mottoer)

  1. motto

References[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology[edit]

From Italian motto (a word, a saying).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: mot‧to

Noun[edit]

motto n (plural motto's, diminutive mottootje n)

  1. motto
  2. (heraldry) motto

Hyponyms[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Ultimately from Italian motto (a word, a saying).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈmotːo/, [ˈmo̞t̪ːo̞]
  • Rhymes: -otːo
  • Syllabification(key): mot‧to

Noun[edit]

motto

  1. motto (sentence or a phrase with guiding principle)
    Synonym: tunnuslause
  2. epigraph (literary quotation placed at the beginning of a book or other text)
    Synonym: epigrafi
  3. (heraldry) motto
    Synonyms: tunnuslause, vaalilause

Declension[edit]

Inflection of motto (Kotus type 1*C/valo, tt-t gradation)
nominative motto motot
genitive moton mottojen
partitive mottoa mottoja
illative mottoon mottoihin
singular plural
nominative motto motot
accusative nom. motto motot
gen. moton
genitive moton mottojen
partitive mottoa mottoja
inessive motossa motoissa
elative motosta motoista
illative mottoon mottoihin
adessive motolla motoilla
ablative motolta motoilta
allative motolle motoille
essive mottona mottoina
translative motoksi motoiksi
abessive mototta motoitta
instructive motoin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of motto (Kotus type 1*C/valo, tt-t gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative mottoni mottoni
accusative nom. mottoni mottoni
gen. mottoni
genitive mottoni mottojeni
partitive mottoani mottojani
inessive motossani motoissani
elative motostani motoistani
illative mottooni mottoihini
adessive motollani motoillani
ablative motoltani motoiltani
allative motolleni motoilleni
essive mottonani mottoinani
translative motokseni motoikseni
abessive motottani motoittani
instructive
comitative mottoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative mottosi mottosi
accusative nom. mottosi mottosi
gen. mottosi
genitive mottosi mottojesi
partitive mottoasi mottojasi
inessive motossasi motoissasi
elative motostasi motoistasi
illative mottoosi mottoihisi
adessive motollasi motoillasi
ablative motoltasi motoiltasi
allative motollesi motoillesi
essive mottonasi mottoinasi
translative motoksesi motoiksesi
abessive motottasi motoittasi
instructive
comitative mottoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative mottomme mottomme
accusative nom. mottomme mottomme
gen. mottomme
genitive mottomme mottojemme
partitive mottoamme mottojamme
inessive motossamme motoissamme
elative motostamme motoistamme
illative mottoomme mottoihimme
adessive motollamme motoillamme
ablative motoltamme motoiltamme
allative motollemme motoillemme
essive mottonamme mottoinamme
translative motoksemme motoiksemme
abessive motottamme motoittamme
instructive
comitative mottoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative mottonne mottonne
accusative nom. mottonne mottonne
gen. mottonne
genitive mottonne mottojenne
partitive mottoanne mottojanne
inessive motossanne motoissanne
elative motostanne motoistanne
illative mottoonne mottoihinne
adessive motollanne motoillanne
ablative motoltanne motoiltanne
allative motollenne motoillenne
essive mottonanne mottoinanne
translative motoksenne motoiksenne
abessive motottanne motoittanne
instructive
comitative mottoinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative mottonsa mottonsa
accusative nom. mottonsa mottonsa
gen. mottonsa
genitive mottonsa mottojensa
partitive mottoaan
mottoansa
mottojaan
mottojansa
inessive motossaan
motossansa
motoissaan
motoissansa
elative motostaan
motostansa
motoistaan
motoistansa
illative mottoonsa mottoihinsa
adessive motollaan
motollansa
motoillaan
motoillansa
ablative motoltaan
motoltansa
motoiltaan
motoiltansa
allative motolleen
motollensa
motoilleen
motoillensa
essive mottonaan
mottonansa
mottoinaan
mottoinansa
translative motokseen
motoksensa
motoikseen
motoiksensa
abessive motottaan
motottansa
motoittaan
motoittansa
instructive
comitative mottoineen
mottoinensa

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin muttum (mutter). Compare Catalan and French mot (word).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto m (plural motti)

  1. witty remark
  2. motto, maxim
  3. posy (motto inscribed inside a ring)
  4. (Gallicism) word

Descendants[edit]

  • English: motto
  • German: Motto

Further reading[edit]

  • motto in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

motto

  1. Rōmaji transcription of もっと

Nauruan[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto

  1. motto

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology[edit]

From Italian motto.

Noun[edit]

motto n (definite singular mottoet, indefinite plural motto or mottoer, definite plural mottoa or mottoene)

  1. a motto

References[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Etymology[edit]

From Italian motto.

Noun[edit]

motto n (definite singular mottoet, indefinite plural motto, definite plural mottoa)

  1. a motto

References[edit]

Polish[edit]

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Italian motto, from Latin muttum.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto n

  1. philosophy, motto, watchword, byword
    Synonyms: dewiza, credo
  2. (literature) epigraph (literary quotation placed at the beginning of a text)
    Synonym: epigraf

Declension[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • motto in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • motto in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Italian motto or German Motto.

Noun[edit]

motto n (plural mottouri)

  1. motto

Declension[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Italian motto, from Late Latin muttum.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto n

  1. a motto

Declension[edit]

Declension of motto 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative motto mottot motton mottona
Genitive mottos mottots mottons mottonas

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Ye'kwana[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

motto

  1. a kind of long earthworm or caecilian used as a sacred food during major life events and at the end of any fast

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

  • Cáceres, Natalia (2011), “mottoo”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana, Lyon
  • Hall, Katherine Lee (1988), “motto”, in The morphosyntax of discourse in De'kwana Carib, volume I and II, Saint Louis, Missouri: PhD Thesis, Washington University
  • Hall, Katherine (2007), “motto”, in Mary Ritchie Key & Bernard Comrie, editors, The Intercontinental Dictionary Series[3], Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, published 2021
  • Invalid params in call to Template:R:mch:Guss: head=mottoGuss, David M. (1989) To Weave and Sing: Art, Symbol, and Narrative in the South American Rain Forest, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, →ISBN, page 30, 133
  • Monterrey, Nalúa Rosa Silva (2012) Hombres de curiara y mujeres de conuco. Etnografía de los indigenas Ye’kwana de Venezuela, Ciudad Bolívar: Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana, page 36