motto

thumb|Logo of the French Republic "", French for "liberty, equality, fraternity" A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organization. Mottos (or mottoes) are usually found predominantly in written form (unlike slogans, which may also be expressed orally), and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events, such as a civil war or a revolution. One's motto may be in any language, but Latin has been widely used, especially in the Western world.

==Language== Latin has been very common for mottos in the Western World, but for nation states, their official national language is generally chosen. Examples of using other historical languages in motto language include: County of Somerset in England: (All the men of Somerset), Old English. South Cambridgeshire in the English Fens: (Nothing without work), Dutch, originally the motto of Dutchman Cornelius Vermuyden, who drained The Fens in the 17th century. South Africa: ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke (Unity in diversity), ǀXam. Shire of Shetland: Með lögum skal land byggja (By law shall the land be built up), Old Norse.