alma mater

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See also: Alma Mater

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

From Latin alma māter (literally “nourishing mother”). Derives from the full name ("Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna") of the oldest European university, the University of Bologna, founded in 1088.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌælmə ˈmeɪtə(ɹ)/, /ˌælmə ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/, /ˌɑːlmə ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/

Noun

alma mater (plural almae matres or alma maters)

  1. A school, college, or university which a person has graduated from or attended.
    • 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Evesham (1870)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 58:
      I’m in the place where I grew up, where my alma mater is.
  2. A school’s anthem or song.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alma māter (“feeding mother”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌɑl.maː ˈmaː.tɛr/, /ˌɑl.maː ˈmaː.tər/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: al‧ma ma‧ter

Noun

alma mater f (plural almae matres or alma maters)

  1. alma mater (university one attended, especially one from which one has graduated)

Latin

Pronunciation

Noun

alma māter f (genitive almae mātris); third declension

  1. (Ancient Rome) mother goddess
  2. (Medieval Christianity) Virgin Mary

Declension

First-declension adjective with a third-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative alma māter almae mātrēs
Genitive almae mātris almārum mātrum
Dative almae mātrī almīs mātribus
Accusative almam mātrem almās mātrēs
Ablative almā mātre almīs mātribus
Vocative alma māter almae mātrēs

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin alma māter.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

alma mater f (invariable)

  1. a person who provides for another
  2. homeland (place where one was born)
  3. alma mater (school or college from which an individual has graduated)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alma māter.

Noun

alma mater f (plural alma mater)

  1. alma mater

Further reading

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