Alma mater

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Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother". (Pron. 'ælmə 'meɪtə(r) in British English; usu. 'ɔlmə 'maːɾər in American English.) It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. In modern times it is used to refer to the university or college a person attended.

Contents 1 History 2 Uses in academia 2.1 As a reference to an academic institution 3 See also 4 Notes 5 External links

[edit] History

This term is latin for "nourishing mother", in reference to the intellectual nourishment students receive from the institution they attend. Anecdotically, the oldest continuously-operating degree-granting Western university: the University of Bologna, in Italy, (founded A.D. 1088 in the city of Bologna),^[1] adopted the motto Alma Mater Studiorum (meaning "Nourishing Mother of Studies") in 2000.

[edit] Uses in academia

[edit] As a reference to an academic institution

In many modern languages it is usually and principally heard as a term of academia; thus, in the English language, it is often used in place of the name of the university or college from where a person has attended or graduated, though the phrase is not so prominent outside of the USA. The bronze statue on the steps of Low Library on the campus of Columbia University is of an anthropomorphic Alma Mater, and named so. In American English, it may also be used in reference to the high school that an individual has attended.

[edit] See also

• Alumnus

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

Look up alma mater in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Definition of alma mater at Merriam-Webster Online
• An example of an alma mater "Well I Remember!", from the University of Northern Colorado
• "Crimson and the Blue", the alma mater of the University of Kansas
• "Alma Mater" (sometimes known as Hail Saint Mary's), the alma mater of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota