motto
Let an agent explain mottos and their kinds, relay heraldic and official conventions, describe notable mottos with attribution, and distinguish mottos from slogans, maxims and battle cries.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain mottos and their kinds, relay heraldic and official conventions, describe notable mottos with attribution, and distinguish mottos from slogans, maxims and battle cries.
A short phrase or sentence expressing a guiding principle, ideal or purpose of a person, family, institution, state or movement, such as school mottos, national and state mottos, heraldic mottos on a riband or scroll below a coat of arms, battle cries and organisational slogans; mottos are often in Latin or other classical languages, are formally adopted in some cases, and are distinguished from slogans by their durability and from maxims by their attachment to an identity.
What it is for: Expressing identity and principle.
It can be explain kinds and conventions; relay heraldic and official use; describe notable mottos; distinguish from related phrases.
Distinguishing features
Attached to an identity
Often classical language
Formal adoption
Heraldic placement
What it looks like
A phrase on a scroll, seal, badge or building.
How it is recognised
Phrase expressing a guiding principle of an identity
Heraldic, national, state, school and organisational mottos, battle cries
A slogan is for campaigns; a maxim is a general rule; a tagline is commercial
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is a kind of - in registry terms
is displayed on - in heraldry
is contrasted with - a campaign phrase
In practice
Families and kinds
heraldic mottos on ribands
national mottos
US state and other regional mottos
school and university mottos
military unit mottos and battle cries
organisational and family mottos
personal mottos
Standards and regulation
Heraldic authority rules on mottos
Laws adopting national and state mottos
No regulation of informal mottos
Failure modes and hazards
Misattributed or mistranslated mottos
Confusing mottos with slogans
Contested national mottos
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Understand What a motto is.
Definition.
Definition
Definition and kinds.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a motto, and what kinds exist? definition
- Is the phrase a motto, a slogan, a maxim or a battle cry? boundary
Heraldry
Heraldic mottos.
Heraldry
Heraldry.
- How are mottos placed on ribands and regulated in heraldry? definition
- Which entry fits heraldry? action
Examples Notable mottos.
Sources.
National
National and state mottos.
National
National.
- What are notable national and state mottos, and how were they adopted, with sources? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific motto? action
Institutions
School and organisational mottos.
Institutions
Institutions.
- What mottos do schools, universities and military units use, and what do they mean? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Language Language and translation.
Practice.
Latin
Classical languages.
Latin
Latin.
- Why are mottos often in Latin, and how are they translated accurately? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Writing
Writing a motto.
Writing
Writing.
- What conventions guide composing a motto for an organisation? provenance
- Which entry fits organisational identity? action
Context History and debates.
Context.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did mottos develop from medieval heraldry and war cries? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of heraldry? action
Debates
Contested mottos.
Debates
Debates.
- What debates surround national mottos, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should national motto and heraldic motto be separate entries?
- How should heraldic sources be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases mixing heraldic parts and unrelated terms; should they be split off?