05-22-2011, 12:45
|
#1
|
|
Asset
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northeast
Posts: 3
|
Latin Motto
I'm wondering about the provenance of the Special Forces motto, "De Oppresso Liber." I've gathered that the official Army translation is "to free the oppressed." I've studied Latin for years, though, and it pretty clearly doesn't say that. The Latin for that would be "Oppressos Liberare" or similar. The current motto is kind of odd Latin, and the meaning isn't immediately apparent, but it could be translated as "From an oppressed [place/thing/person] -- free."
I searched this site, and found a post from Airbornelawyer, who seems to agree that there's a big difference between the Latin and the official translation.
So, I'm interested to know how, why, and by whom this Latin phrase was chosen as the SF motto. What's the story behind it? I've searched this site and the web generally, and read into some SF history, but couldn't find any pertinent info. Anyone know?
|
|
golgotha is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 12:54
|
#2
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
|
Did you look here or just go to wikipedia?
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/He...it.aspx?u=4351
The motto is translated as "From Oppression We Will Liberate Them."
Richard 
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
|
|
Richard is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 15:30
|
#3
|
|
Asset
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northeast
Posts: 3
|
Thank you, Richard! That link was something I hadn't seen. It does give approval and adoption dates, but not much as to who came up with it or where they got their Latin.
Yes, I looked at the Wikipedia entry. There's some unsourced speculation about a possible Augustinian inspiration of the current official translation, but nothing about who or where the Latin phrase came from.
I've also searched the PHI database of Latin literature -- the exact phrase occurs nowhere in classical Latin, so I don't have any leads in the literature on its origin.
|
|
golgotha is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 15:53
|
#4
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
|
Quote:
|
...not much as to who came up with it or where they got their Latin.
|
There's an e-mail contact link on the TIOH web-site - I'd ask them.
Good luck.
Richard
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
|
|
Richard is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 18:33
|
#5
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,780
|
I would avoid starting any more threads asking similar questions till you get the feel for this board.
And read "A Message to Garcia" in the meanwhile.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
|
|
The Reaper is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 21:04
|
#6
|
|
Asset
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northeast
Posts: 3
|
Thanks for the warning, TR. I've read the stickies; I spent a lot of time here reading before I registered and thought I had a pretty good feel for the board. I hadn't planned on creating threads willy-nilly. Is there something wrong with this one? I did my homework on the motto, couldn't find an answer, and thought it made sense to ask the men who wear it.
|
|
golgotha is offline
|
|
|
05-22-2011, 21:10
|
#7
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Nashville
Posts: 956
|
Really
Golgotha, quare est is res ullus sollicitudo of vestri?
__________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson
|
|
Blitzzz (RIP) is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 09:43
|
#8
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,780
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by golgotha
Thanks for the warning, TR. I've read the stickies; I spent a lot of time here reading before I registered and thought I had a pretty good feel for the board. I hadn't planned on creating threads willy-nilly. Is there something wrong with this one? I did my homework on the motto, couldn't find an answer, and thought it made sense to ask the men who wear it.
|
Do your own research before starting new threads. You thread adds nothing I can discern to this forum. As you noted, it has already been mentioned here.
Maybe you should look for a Latin translation discussion board.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
|
|
The Reaper is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 11:27
|
#9
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
Maybe you should look for a Latin translation discussion board.
|
Or...and I may be off base here  ...go to the source of such matters for the military - the Institute of Heraldry.
As my Dad used to say, "If you're gonna ask Mr Ed* a question, you'd best be at the end with the teeth for the answer." 
Richard
* TV's talking horse.
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
|
|
Richard is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 11:41
|
#10
|
|
RIP Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: The Ozarks
Posts: 10,072
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by golgotha
Thanks for the warning, TR. I've read the stickies; I spent a lot of time here reading before I registered and thought I had a pretty good feel for the board. I hadn't planned on creating threads willy-nilly. Is there something wrong with this one? I did my homework on the motto, couldn't find an answer, and thought it made sense to ask the men who wear it.
|
Never call a QP 'Willy Nilly'.
__________________
"There you go, again." Ronald Reagan
|
|
Dusty is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 11:59
|
#11
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Georgetown, SC
Posts: 4,204
|
Come on, guys. Let's not "crucify" him! 
__________________
"I took a different route from most and came into Special Forces..." - Col. Nick Rowe
|
|
ZonieDiver is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 12:14
|
#12
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,780
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
|
As you noted, easily identifiable with basic Google skills.
I don't think that the OP's question has any real relevance here, unless there is a Latin translation sub-fora that I missed.
No one on board here created the motto or did the translation. This ranks right up there with a philosophical discussion of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Complete waste of bandwidth.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
|
|
The Reaper is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 12:20
|
#13
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
Complete waste of bandwidth.
|
It certainly was after post #2.
Golgotha,
I'm gonna help you here. That was TR offering some advice - stomp...stomp...stomp. I'd make note of it...you may see it again.
Richard
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
|
|
Richard is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 12:42
|
#14
|
|
Quiet Professional (RIP)
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Carriere,Ms.
Posts: 6,922
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
It certainly was after post #2.
Golgotha,
I'm gonna help you here. That was TR offering some advice - stomp...stomp...stomp. I'd make note of it...you may see it again.
Richard
|
The kid's got to be nuts,picking a fight with TR............ 
Big Teddy
__________________
I believe that SF is a 'calling' - not too different from the calling missionaries I know received. I knew instantly that it was for me, and that I would do all I could to achieve it. Most others I know in SF experienced something similar. If, as you say, you HAVE searched and read, and you do not KNOW if this is the path for you --- it is not....
Zonie Diver
SF is a calling and it requires commitment and dedication that the uninitiated will never understand......
Jack Moroney
SFA M-2527, Chapter XXXVII
|
|
greenberetTFS is offline
|
|
|
05-23-2011, 12:50
|
#15
|
|
Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenberetTFS
The kid's got to be nuts,picking a fight with TR.
|
Teddy,
Not a fight... jes one a them failure to communicate things. I'm pretty sure it's been sorted out now.
Richard
__________________
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
|
|
Richard is offline
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:52.
|
|
|
Linear Mode
