Talk:Alma mater

Redirect

Current version of the article is little more than a dictionary definition. I have redirected to List of Latin phrases#A. If/when someone has enough more to say to turn this into a full stand-alone article, please revert this redirect to the prior version. Rossami 21:46, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Current usage

"Before its current usage", states the article. Should this not indicate that it's (presumably) specific to the US, at least in English usage? See the previous discussion page for commentary from various other likely more worldly-wise than me, but speaking as an Englishwoman I found the term rather perplexing when I first encountered it on Wikipedia and years later I've still yet to encounter it elsewhere. I dare say it may be used within particular social circles (such as the infamously closeted "Oxbridge PPE crowd", to hazard a guess) but it doesn't seem to be used in general; or at least not here. --Vometia (talk) 16:05, 8 September 2019 (UTC)

There seems to be a wide gulf between British and US usage of this term. It's extremely common in the US where it usually means one has graduated from (ie. not a drop-out). Though some may disagree (often drop outs themselves!). In the UK it seems like the term is not used much at all, and when so, its meaning can infer simply any attendance (graduate or not) but I am guessing here. -- GreenC 16:26, 8 September 2019 (UTC)

Which school had the first use?

In 2023, the article lead was redrafted to claim that university-related usage began with the University of Bologna and its motto "Alma Mater Studiorum ". But sources that show Bologna is the oldest school using the term do not support the claim that the term itself originates with Bologna. Meanwhile, there are plenty of English language sources tracing the earliest use to the 1600/1610 at the University of Cambridge (see 'Etymology'), including all the tertiary sources cited.

It's possible that Bologna usage is earlier, but I cannot find a source to verify this. If someone does track one down—perhaps Italian Wikipedia has it?—we should then update the article lead and etymology section to show Bologna's prior use.

Specifically, it would be helpful to know when Bologna adopted "Alma Mater Studiorum." I can find Italian and English language primary sources dating "Alma Mater Studiorum" to 1888, celebrating Bologna's 800-year anniversary. But the trail disappears before that date, and I don't know of a secondary source that Wikipedia can cite. Nickknack00 (talk) 15:55, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

Ufo

mother earth 207.62.170.211 (talk) 23:34, 27 January 2023 (UTC)