| Latin |
Translation |
Notes |
| faber est suae quisque fortunae |
Every man is the artisan of his own fortune |
Appius Claudius Caecus. Motto of Fort Street High School in Petersham, Sydney , Australia. |
| fac fortia et patere |
do brave deeds and endure |
Motto of Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, Australia. |
| fac simile |
make a similar thing |
Origin of the word facsimile, and, through it, of fax. |
| facta, non verba |
actions, not words |
Motto of United States Navy Destroyer Squadron 22 and Joint Task Force 2, Star of the Sea College, Convent of Holy Child Jesus School, Layton Hill, Blackpool, and Southwood Boys' Grammar School in Ringwood, Victoria, Australia, Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, Dimboola, Victoria, Australia, Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, in England, and Bartley Secondary School in Singapore. |
| falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus |
false in one thing, false in everything |
A Roman legal principle indicating that a witness who willfully falsifies one matter is not credible on any matter. The underlying motive for attorneys to impeach opposing witnesses in court: the principle discredits the rest of their testimony if it is without corroboration. |
| fecisti patriam diversis de gentibus unam |
"From differing peoples you have made one native land" |
Verse 63 from the poem De reditu suo by Rutilius Claudius Namatianus praising emperor Augustus.[1] |
| felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas |
happy is he who can discover the causes of things |
Virgil. "Rerum cognoscere causas" is the motto of the University of Sheffield. |
| felo de se |
felon from himself |
An archaic legal term for one who commits suicide, referring to early English common law punishments, such as land seizure, inflicted on those who killed themselves. |
| fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt |
men generally believe what they want to |
People's beliefs are shaped largely by their desires. Julius Caesar, The Gallic War 3.18 |
| festina lente |
hurry slowly |
An oxymoronic motto of Augustus. It encourages proceeding quickly, but with calm and caution. Equivalent to 'More haste, less speed'. Motto of The Madeira School, McLean, Virginia. |
| fiat iustitia et pereat mundus |
let justice be done, though the world shall perish |
Motto of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. |
| fiat justitia ruat caelum |
let justice be done should the sky fall |
Attributed to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus. |
| fiat lux |
let light be made |
Less literally, "let light arise" or "let there be light" (cf. lux sit). From the Latin translation of Genesis, "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("and God said, 'Let light be made', and light was made.") The motto of Parkland Composite High School, the University of California, University of Washington, Clark University, Waynesburg University, Angelo State University, University of Lethbridge, Rollins College, Hiram College, Alfred University and Kitsilano Secondary School. It is also the motto of the Conservatorium High School in Sydney, Australia. It is incorporated into the logo of the University of Liverpool and Emmanuel College at the University of Queensland. |
| fiat voluntas Dei |
May God's will be done |
The motto of Robert May's School |
| fiat voluntas tua |
Thy will be done |
The motto of Archbishop Richard Smith of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. |
| Fidei Defensor (Fid Def) or (fd) |
Defender of the Faith |
A title given to Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on October 17, 1521 before Henry became a heresiarch. Still used by the British monarchs, it appears on all British coins, usually abbreviated. |
| fidem scit |
"He knows the faith" |
Sometimes mistranslated to "Keep the faith", when used in contemporary English-language writings of all kinds to convey a light-hearted wish for the reader's well-being. The humor comes from the phrase's similarity in pronunciation to the words "Feed 'em shit". |
| fides qua creditur' |
the faith by which it is believed |
the personal faith which apprehends, contrasted with fides quae creditur |
| fides quae creditur |
the faith which is believed |
the content of "the faith," contrasted with fides qua creditur |
| fides quaerens intellectum |
"faith seeking understanding |
the motto of Saint Anselm, found in his Proslogion |
| fidus Achates |
faithful Achates |
A faithful friend. From the name of Aeneas's faithful companion in Virgil's Aeneid. |
| finis vitae sed non amoris |
The end of Life is not the end of Love |
|
| omnibus locis fit caedes |
Let there be slaughter everywhere |
Julius Caesar's The Gallic War, 7.67 |
| flagellum dei |
scourge of god |
Referred to Attila the Hun, when he led his armies to invade the Western Roman Empire. |
| flectere si nequeo superos, Achaeronta movebo |
If I cannot move heaven I will raise hell |
Virgil's Aeneid - Book 7 |
| floreat etona |
May Eton Flourish |
Motto of Eton College |
| floruit (fl.) |
one flourished |
Indicates the period when a historical figure whose birth and death dates are unknown was most active. |
| fluctuat nec mergitur |
she wavers and is not immersed |
Motto of Paris. |
| fons et origo |
the spring and source |
"The fountainhead and beginning". The source and origin. |
| fons sapientiae, verbum Dei |
the fount of knowledge is the word of God. |
The motto of Bishop Blanchet High School. |
| fortes fortuna adiuvat |
Fortune favours the bold |
The motto of the 3rd Marine Regiment |
| fortes in fide |
strong in faith |
"Fortes in Fide" is the Motto of Ateneo de Davao University. Used "Fortiores in Fide"(Stronger in Faith) during the 50th Anniversary in 1998]. Also the Motto of Downlands College, Australia, which celebrated its 67th Anniversary in 1998. |
| fortis cadere, cedere non potest' |
The brave may fall, but cannot yield |
Motto of Fahnestock Family Arms. |
| fortis est veritas |
truth is strong |
Motto on the coat of arms of Oxford, England. |
| fortis et liber |
strong and free |
Motto of Alberta. |
| fortiter et fideliter |
bravely and faithfully |
Motto of The King's School, Parramatta, Australia, Pangbourne College, UK, and St. Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent, UK |
