sic itur ad astra

English translation: That's how you get to the stars.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Latin term or phrase:sic itur ad astra
English translation:That's how you get to the stars.
Entered by: Egmont

14:40 Mar 16, 2000
Latin to English translations [PRO]
Latin term or phrase: sic itur ad astra
Sic Itur Ad Astra

This is on a family crest. I've heard two translations:
-Faithful to the End
-This is the Way to Immortality... or Thus is Immortality Gained

If anyone knows the proper translation that might appear on a family crest, I'd appreciate it. Thanks...
Barbara Barrett, The (Raleigh) News & Observer
That's how you get to the stars.
Explanation:
SIC means "thus, so" -- colloquially, "this is how, that's how." ITUR is the so-called impersonal passive of the verb meaning "go" -- colloquially, "people go, they go, we get, you get, you go," etc., ad infinitum! AD means "to, toward." ASTRA means "stars." Of course, "stars" in the mix of classical mythology and Christianity of Western literature can mean the heavens, or post-mortem Heaven, or even the notion of becoming a star, the ancient Roman road to becoming immortalized as a god. So, "This is the Way to Immortality" would also be acceptable. On the other hand, no word here specifies faithfulness (generally FIDES in Latin), but even this might be the intent: mottoes are notoriously hard to translate exactly because they are so abbreviated. Any expression that is very short is likewise short on context, and more context typically provides more clarity.
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Wigtil (X)
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Summary of answers provided
na +2That's how you get to the stars.
Wigtil (X)


  

Answers


2 hrs peer agreement (net): +2
That's how you get to the stars.


Explanation:
SIC means "thus, so" -- colloquially, "this is how, that's how." ITUR is the so-called impersonal passive of the verb meaning "go" -- colloquially, "people go, they go, we get, you get, you go," etc., ad infinitum! AD means "to, toward." ASTRA means "stars." Of course, "stars" in the mix of classical mythology and Christianity of Western literature can mean the heavens, or post-mortem Heaven, or even the notion of becoming a star, the ancient Roman road to becoming immortalized as a god. So, "This is the Way to Immortality" would also be acceptable. On the other hand, no word here specifies faithfulness (generally FIDES in Latin), but even this might be the intent: mottoes are notoriously hard to translate exactly because they are so abbreviated. Any expression that is very short is likewise short on context, and more context typically provides more clarity.

Wigtil (X)
PRO pts in pair: 67
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chinoise
870 days

agree  Egmont
920 days
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