Why is the motto of the Swedish university Chalmers in French: avancez?
score:5
Avancez! was the personal motto of William Chalmers, a member of the Swedish East India Company, who left about half of his personal wealth to supply for a school which eventually became the current university (the other half went to Sahlgrenska sjukhuset, a hospital founded by one of his colleagues). The school has copied his motto.
Upvote:1
"Avancez" was the "motto" of the Scottish & British noble family (at the time.) known as Chalmers of Gadgirth. Chalmers (and the surnames Chambers & Chamberlain), came from their family's beginnings as the ancestors of French nobles who were Chamberlain's to King David the 1st, Malcolm the 4th and James the 3rd. At the time, they called themselves "De Camera" and "Camerarius". Herbertus was the first on record. Herbertus, Camerarius Regis Scotiae (Chamberlain to the King of Scots). The name De Camera then morphed into Chalmer and Chamber. And then finally, Chalmers and Chambers. Some Chalmers families broke off and went on to use the motto - "Spero", which means "Hope". I believe William Chalmers, who the university is named after, was from the Chalmers of Gadgirth family. So, he kept the original family motto of "Avancez", which is now the motto of the university founded in his honour.
Upvote:5
French used to have a status as working language for international institutions, somewhat like English today (or Latin in the past for Catholic Europe). This was the case around the time of the founding of Chalmers University of Technology (1829). It is not surprising if some universities during that time used a French motto. Today there are also universities and other institutions in non English-speaking countries that uses English motto, for example Erasmus University.
From Wikipedia
French was the language of diplomacy from the 17th century until the mid-20th century, and is still a working language of some international institutions. In the international sporting world French is still the lingua franca as the International Olympic Committee and FIFA use French. It was also the lingua franca of European literature in the 18th century. French is still seen on documents ranging from passports to airmail letters.
More post
- 📝 What's the birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth, assuming he existed?
- 📝 How was religious diversity represented in the Thirteen Colonies?
- 📝 How can you see what rank a British redcoat is?
- 📝 What percentage of slaves originally brought from Africa were purchased from slave traders as opposed to having been captured by Europeans?
- 📝 When did toys first become "Made in China"?
- 📝 When did armies seriously consider tank-vs-tank warfare to be possible?
- 📝 Was there and if so what was a northern silk road route from Khazaria to China?
- 📝 What was the original intent of US presidential power to pardon?
- 📝 Who was a Roman General for a short time?
- 📝 Were there attempts to rename the French language Prussian order Pour le Mérite, why was it never Germanised?
- 📝 Why did the United States not resort to nuclear weapons in Vietnam?
- 📝 Why is the charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations signed "HOWARD"?
- 📝 Did specific countries have special influence in the founding of the UN?
- 📝 Were the mongol army boots of 13th century lined with fur?
- 📝 Is there a written history on the Sonderkommando Elbe?
- 📝 During internment, how effective was the US at identifying and detaining Japanese-Americans?
- 📝 Why didn't the WWI Allies attack through the Vosges Mountains after 1915?
- 📝 Are there alternatives to tripartite periodisation of history?
- 📝 How were newspapers delivered to flats in post-War Britain?
- 📝 Which texts/works were lost due to the Mongol invasions of Baghdad?
- 📝 Origin of the "Tartar" troops in the First Opium War
- 📝 Constantine XI Palaiologos
- 📝 Why didn't the Arab states industrialize?
- 📝 What prevented the Romans from naval expansion?
- 📝 Was the enclosure responsible for the supply of factory workers in 18th and 19th Century England?
- 📝 Constantine the Great created the Chi-Rho from the Greek word for "Christ". Why choose Greek over Latin, even though he was Roman?
- 📝 Was anyone blamed for Japan's defeat at Tai'erzhuang?
- 📝 Are the swords in the Oath of Horatii all Roman?
- 📝 What alphabet is this?
- 📝 What was Libya's form of direct democracy (Jamahiria) like in practice?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why is the motto of the Swedish university Chalmers in French: avancez?
- 📝 Why are the German and French languages so different?
- 📝 Why were British ships not of the same quality as French and Spanish ships until the latter part of the 18th century?
- 📝 Why did the French sell Louisiana?
- 📝 Why are the French and Indian Wars / Seven Years' War not considered WW 1?
- 📝 Why did the Allies Invade French North Africa?
- 📝 Why did the Dutch, French & British acquire minor colonies in South America?
- 📝 Why did Guinea vote so differently in the 1958 French constitutional referendum?
- 📝 Why did few French and no Dutch pilots (but many Poles and Czechs) take part in the Battle of Britain?
- 📝 Why did the French nobility adopt Calvinism?
- 📝 Why did the French insist on reclaiming Indo-China after WWII?
- 📝 Why did the French Army melt film during WWI?
- 📝 Why wasn't there more resistance to the French revolution by the army?
- 📝 Why did the French Revolution bring secularism?
- 📝 Why did the French Revolutionary General Pichegru defect to the Royalists?
- 📝 Why the six hour gap between British and French declarations of war?
- 📝 Why did the French concede Mosul to British Iraq?
- 📝 Why did the Patrice Lumumba University eject Carlos the Jackal?
- 📝 Why was Poland able to resist the Swedish invasion during the Deluge, but not during the time of Charles XII?
- 📝 At the Battle of Waterloo, why did the French army throw so many troops into the fight for Hougoumont?
- 📝 Were there attempts to rename the French language Prussian order Pour le Mérite, why was it never Germanised?
- 📝 Why did the French "surrender" all of its troops during the armistice in World War II?
- 📝 Why was the Vichy French Navy in Toulon scuttled in 1942?
- 📝 Why was Lafayette imprisoned after the French Revolution?
- 📝 Why did Sweden not fortify Swedish Livonia along its eastern frontier, including the approaches to Riga?
- 📝 Why and how did the CIA/OSS support non-communist French trade unions after WWII?
- 📝 Why was the British University Grants Committee abolished in 1988?
- 📝 Why did the French return all the Dutch Colonies to the Netherlands in Paris Treaty?
- 📝 Why was Napoleon Bonaparte appointed to lead the French campaign in northern Italy?
- 📝 Why did the Swedish colonies in America and Africa fail?
