daly@nybcb.UUCP (daly) (12/20/85)
Any trivia buffs out there know what E Pluribus Unum means ???
I see it every day on my money, but have no idea what it means.
Thanks
Shawn P. Daly
New York Blood Center
New York, N.Y.
seismo!cmcl2!nybcb!dalycitrin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Wayne Citrin) (12/23/85)
In article <201@nybcb.UUCP> daly@nybcb.UUCP (daly) writes: >Any trivia buffs out there know what E Pluribus Unum means ??? > It means "Out of many, one," referring to the union of the states. For your information, this is the motto on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States. (Both sides can of course be seen on the back of the dollar bill). On the obverse of the Great Seal we find: "Novus Ordo Seclorum" - Literally, "A new order of the ages." More of less it means "History begins with us." The Founding Fathers apparently knew they had accomplished something important. "Annuit Coeptis" - I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading that it meant something like "Providence has approved of us," but I'm not sure. Unfortunately I left my Latin textbook at home. Perhaps some other scholar can clear this up. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
john@cisden.UUCP (John Woolley) (12/26/85)
In article <11284@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Citrin) asks: >"Annuit Coeptis" - I'm not sure, but I seem to remember reading that it > meant something like "Providence has approved of us," but I'm not > sure. Unfortunately I left my Latin textbook at home. Perhaps some > other scholar can clear this up. Always happy to oblige. "Annuit" means "he has nodded", "it has approved", something along those lines. "Coeptis" is ablative plural of "coeptum", "something undertaken, something begun". So the phrase means "He [God, one presumes] has approved our undertakings". -- Peace and Good!, Fr. John Woolley "The heart has its reasons that the mind does not know." -- Blaise Pascal
jordan@noscvax.UUCP (Martin C. Jordan) (01/07/86)
In article <201@nybcb.UUCP> daly@nybcb.UUCP (daly) writes: >Any trivia buffs out there know what E Pluribus Unum means ??? >I see it every day on my money, but have no idea what it means. >Thanks > Shawn P. Daly > New York Blood Center > New York, N.Y. > seismo!cmcl2!nybcb!daly E Pluribus Unum is Latin for "One out of many." It is the motto of our grand and glorious Republic and embraces the idea that our individuality can work together to form a perfect whole; one nation out of many states, one nation out of many cultures, one nation out of many people. I could go on, but the next time you see this on a coin or a dollar bill, remember that there is someone here in San Diego who is also working that both of us might enjoy the liberties we have. A Fellow American, Martin Jordan