Fluctuat nec mergitur
Encyclopedia
Fluctuat nec mergitur is a Latin
phrase meaning "He who rises with the wave is not swallowed by it":
This phrase is the motto
of Paris
, France
, and is present in the city coat of arms
depicting a ship floating on a rough sea. Both motto and city arms have their origins in the river Seine
boatsman's corporation; this powerful hanse ruled the city's trade and commerce as early as the Roman era. Although this corporation through the centuries became an entity resembling more a municipal government than a trade organization, they maintained their original arms and motto, and it is for this that the Mairie de Paris bears them still today.
Prof. Francisco Antonio García Romero (in his prologue of the work of J. L. Sánchez Villanueva, Monumentos con arte. Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, 2011) suggests that the motto was taken from the treatise Antichristus 59, 1, of Hippolytus (3rd-century a. D.), where it refers to the Church: cheimázetai all’ouk apóllytai.
The phrase is used in "Les Copains d'abord" by the French singer/poet Georges Brassens. It is also the motto of Albert Messiah
's classic textbook on quantum mechanics
. It is also used on the back of the CD insert of "The Big Roar", the debut album from Welsh band The Joy Formidable
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase meaning "He who rises with the wave is not swallowed by it":
- fluctuat: the verb fluctuāre in the third-personGrammatical personGrammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
singular of the indicative present tensePresent tenseThe present tense is a grammatical tense that locates a situation or event in present time. This linguistic definition refers to a concept that indicates a feature of the meaning of a verb...
in the active voiceActive voiceActive voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. It is the unmarked voice for clauses featuring a transitive verb in nominative–accusative languages, including English and most other Indo-European languages....
. Fluctuāre means "to be wave-like", "move up and down"; of persons and passions, "to be tossed about", "to waver". In English the verb fluctuāre gave to fluctuate. The subject is not explicitly expressed, and can be inferred to be "he", "she" or "it". "She" is used in the English translation because ships and cities are traditionally regarded as feminine. - nec: contractionContraction (grammar)A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters....
of neque, which is equivalent to et nōn, meaning "and not", "and does not", "and is not". - mergitur: the verb mergere in the third-person singular of the indicative present tense in the passive voicePassive voicePassive voice is a grammatical voice common in many of the world's languages. Passive is used in a clause whose subject expresses the theme or patient of the main verb. That is, the subject undergoes an action or has its state changed. A sentence whose theme is marked as grammatical subject is...
. Mergere means "to dip", "plunge into liquid", "immerse", "sink", "overwhelm". In English the verb mergere gave to merge as well as to submerge (literally "merge under", "sub-merge").
Uses
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize 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 mottoes of governments...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and is present in the city coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
depicting a ship floating on a rough sea. Both motto and city arms have their origins in the river Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
boatsman's corporation; this powerful hanse ruled the city's trade and commerce as early as the Roman era. Although this corporation through the centuries became an entity resembling more a municipal government than a trade organization, they maintained their original arms and motto, and it is for this that the Mairie de Paris bears them still today.
Prof. Francisco Antonio García Romero (in his prologue of the work of J. L. Sánchez Villanueva, Monumentos con arte. Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, 2011) suggests that the motto was taken from the treatise Antichristus 59, 1, of Hippolytus (3rd-century a. D.), where it refers to the Church: cheimázetai all’ouk apóllytai.
The phrase is used in "Les Copains d'abord" by the French singer/poet Georges Brassens. It is also the motto of Albert Messiah
Albert Messiah
Albert Messiah is a French physicist.He spent the Second World War in the French Resistance: he embarked June 22, 1940 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz to England and participated in the Battle of Dakar with Charles de Gaulle in September 1940...
's classic textbook on quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
. It is also used on the back of the CD insert of "The Big Roar", the debut album from Welsh band The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan , Rhydian Dafydd , and Matt Thomas ....
.