Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
annuit
English translation:
He has smiled on our undertakings
Added to glossary by
John Kinory (X)
May 7, 2002 03:50
22 yrs ago
Latin term
annuit
Latin to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
text on American currancy
annuit is the first word in the phrase on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill. It's located around the pyramid with the floating eye.
'Annuit Coeptis Novus Ordo Seciorum'
'Annuit Coeptis Novus Ordo Seciorum'
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jun 26, 2005 02:18: Kim Metzger changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO" , "Field" from "Other" to "Social Sciences" , "Field (specific)" from "(none)" to "Government / Politics"
Proposed translations
+2
15 mins
Selected
He has smiled on our undertakings/New order of the ages
The three mottos on the seal and their meanings are: E pluribus unum (from many, one); Annuit Coeptis (He has smiled on our undertakings); and Novus ordo seclorum (New order of the ages).
This is from one website of many. If you use the Google search engine and enter your phrases, you'll find that there are several ways to translate them. A variation of novus ordo seclorum is a new order of the ages is born.
This is from one website of many. If you use the Google search engine and enter your phrases, you'll find that there are several ways to translate them. A variation of novus ordo seclorum is a new order of the ages is born.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Kim, this will help with my research.
Your answer was brief and to the point."
11 mins
It (the Eye of Providence) is favorable to our undertakings.
Annuit Coeptis
Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings
In the zenith of an unfinished pyramid on the reverse side of the Great Seal is "an eye in a triangle, surrounded with a glory . . . Over the eye, these words, Annuit Coeptis."
This Latin phrase has been traced to Virgil, the renowned Roman poet who lived in the first century B.C. In his epic masterpiece, the Aeneid, he tells the story of Aeneas – son of Venus, ancestral hero of the Romans – and his journey from Troy to Italy.
In book IX, line 625, is the phrase: "Jupiter omnipotens, audacibus annue coeptis." (All-powerful Jupiter, favor [my] daring undertakings.) Also, in Virgil's Georgics (book I, line 40) are the words: "Da facilem cursum, atque audacibus annue coeptis." (Give [me] an easy course, and favor [my] daring undertakings.)
Charles Thomson changed the first person imperative "annue" to the third person "annuit." In the motto Annuit Coeptis, the subject of the verb must be supplied, and the translator must also choose the tense.
Thomson said: "The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: the Eye over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause."
The eye is therefore the missing subject, and the translation would be:
"It (the Eye of Providence) is favorable to our undertakings."
Variations include:
Providence has favored our undertakings
God favors our undertakings
He favors our undertakings
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Note added at 2002-05-07 04:01:52 (GMT)
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http://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/coeptis.html
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Note added at 2002-05-07 04:02:44 (GMT)
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http://mnemosyne.csl.psyc.memphis.edu/home/chipmanp/acoeptis...
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Note added at 2002-05-07 04:03:09 (GMT)
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HOPE IT PROVES USEFUL
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-07 04:07:56 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE SITE POSTED AT 04:03:09 (GTM)
Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings
In the zenith of an unfinished pyramid on the reverse side of the Great Seal is "an eye in a triangle, surrounded with a glory . . . Over the eye, these words, Annuit Coeptis."
This Latin phrase has been traced to Virgil, the renowned Roman poet who lived in the first century B.C. In his epic masterpiece, the Aeneid, he tells the story of Aeneas – son of Venus, ancestral hero of the Romans – and his journey from Troy to Italy.
In book IX, line 625, is the phrase: "Jupiter omnipotens, audacibus annue coeptis." (All-powerful Jupiter, favor [my] daring undertakings.) Also, in Virgil's Georgics (book I, line 40) are the words: "Da facilem cursum, atque audacibus annue coeptis." (Give [me] an easy course, and favor [my] daring undertakings.)
Charles Thomson changed the first person imperative "annue" to the third person "annuit." In the motto Annuit Coeptis, the subject of the verb must be supplied, and the translator must also choose the tense.
Thomson said: "The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: the Eye over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause."
The eye is therefore the missing subject, and the translation would be:
"It (the Eye of Providence) is favorable to our undertakings."
Variations include:
Providence has favored our undertakings
God favors our undertakings
He favors our undertakings
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-07 04:01:52 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/coeptis.html
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-07 04:02:44 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://mnemosyne.csl.psyc.memphis.edu/home/chipmanp/acoeptis...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-07 04:03:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
HOPE IT PROVES USEFUL
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-07 04:07:56 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE SITE POSTED AT 04:03:09 (GTM)
+1
1 hr
he/she/it approves/has approved (by nodding)
ANNUERE or ADNUERE =
'to give assent or approval by nodding, to nod assent to, to approve, favor, allow, grant, promise to do (constr. with dat. of person, or with acc. of thing and dat. of person)
or
to designate a person or thing (by a nod, by a wink, or by the hand)'
(see reference no. 1)
ANNUIT : either PRESENT indicative active 3rd person singular
or
PERFECT indicative active 3rd person singular
(see reference no. 2)
'to give assent or approval by nodding, to nod assent to, to approve, favor, allow, grant, promise to do (constr. with dat. of person, or with acc. of thing and dat. of person)
or
to designate a person or thing (by a nod, by a wink, or by the hand)'
(see reference no. 1)
ANNUIT : either PRESENT indicative active 3rd person singular
or
PERFECT indicative active 3rd person singular
(see reference no. 2)
11 hrs
He agrees to what we have started.
ANNUIT is either present tense ("he agrees") or perfect tense ("he has agreed") -- in mottoes either meaning is okay.
ANNUIT originally meant, "he nods forward," since the ancient Romans and Greeks dropped their head forward as a gesture of agreement.
RENUIT, by contrast, meant, "he nods backward," since the ancient Romans and Greeks tossed their head up and back to indicate refusal or disagreement. There's much less evidence that they shook their heads left-right-left-right to disagree, as we now do in the West. Some modern South-Asian cultures actually "shake" their heads even today when they agree with you!
ANNUIT originally meant, "he nods forward," since the ancient Romans and Greeks dropped their head forward as a gesture of agreement.
RENUIT, by contrast, meant, "he nods backward," since the ancient Romans and Greeks tossed their head up and back to indicate refusal or disagreement. There's much less evidence that they shook their heads left-right-left-right to disagree, as we now do in the West. Some modern South-Asian cultures actually "shake" their heads even today when they agree with you!
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