Greek in King James Library

[Lost In Translation]

Could anyone tell me what the phrase overlooking the library above the South Street Library says? It looks like "AIEN APIΣTEγEIN" but I haven't been able to find a translation.

[donkey]

It's the University Motto. I understand that "ever to be the best" is the usual translation, though I think it could be rendered as "excellence into eternity" too?

I wonder if anybody has spotted it written up anywhere else around the university?

I think the St Andrews chalk vandals should get to work scribbling greek about the town. Much better than all this 'I love you' stuff.

Quoting Lost In Translation from 13:24, 20th Mar 2008
Could anyone tell me what the phrase overlooking the library above the South Street Library says? It looks like "AIEN APIΣTEγEIN" but I haven't been able to find a translation.

[Fawksie]

If you walk down West Burn Lane towards Queens Terrace you'll see it above a door to the Psychology building.

[Amorphous]

Quoting donkey from 14:10, 20th Mar 2008
I think the St Andrews chalk vandals should get to work scribbling greek about the town. Much better than all this 'I love you' stuff.

If it helps at all, someone recently wrote 'Scottish not British' on the corner of Rogersons footwear. Hooray for vague political statements!


More relevant to the original post: that slogan gets pretty much everywhere, including on/inside the covers of all library books and DVDs along with the little library crest. According to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mottos) it's also held by Boston College as their motto.

The motto list is kind of interesting actually, even if only to see what mottos other universities have been landed with (e.g. Strathclyde: "Place of Useful Learning". In English!)

[hr]

If Jack Bauer was put in a room with Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Nina Myers and handed a gun with two bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.

[Students Association]

They've even put it on T-Shirts for goodness sake!
http://www.yourunion.net/shop/index.php ... uct_id=135

[Guest]

under the union street sign someone has written "soon indpendence street"

[Al]

Quoting from 15:46, 20th Mar 2008
under the union street sign someone has written "soon indpendence street"

Very creative. It's just a pity that the Union referred to in the name of the street is that between Great Britain and Ireland.

[novium]

it's stamped inside every library book.
Is -ein an infinitive ending?

[hr]

Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen

[DrAlex]

What's the latin above the gate at St Mary's?

[hr]

The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[Fawksie]

In principio erat verbum.

[Al]

Quoting DrAlex from 08:30, 21st Mar 2008
What's the latin above the gate at St Mary's?

It's part of the first verse of the Gospel of St John - "In the beginning was the Word".

[RJ Covino]

The University motto is similarly a quotation - from the Homer, which is why it's not just ours alone to play with. (Iliad, VI.208, if memory serves.)

To answer Donkey's question with a question, is it not also in stone over the main door to Deans Court?

[KayBee]

Quoting Amorphous from 15:20, 20th Mar 2008
If it helps at all, someone recently wrote 'Scottish not British' on the corner of Rogersons footwear. Hooray for vague political statements!

There's a Rogersons in St Andrews now? The same chain as found on Rose St?

When did that happen?

[MJC]

Quoting novium from 23:33, 20th Mar 2008
it's stamped inside every library book.
Is -ein an infinitive ending?

[hr]

Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen

Yes

[novium]

thanks, I thought so. it's funny how fast a year of language lessons leaves you.

Quoting MJC from 00:13, 22nd Mar 2008

Quoting novium from 23:33, 20th Mar 2008
it's stamped inside every library book.
Is -ein an infinitive ending?

[hr]

Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen

Yes

[hr]

Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen