Ave
Encyclopedia
Ave is a Latin
word, used by the Roman
s as a salutation
and greeting
, meaning "hail". It is the singular imperative
form of the verb avēre, which meant "to be well"; thus one could translate it literally as "be well" or "farewell".
The Classical Latin pronunciation of ave was ˈaweː. In Church Latin, it is ideally ˈave, and in English, it tends to be pronounced ˈ.
The term was notably used to greet the Caesar
or other authorities. Suetonius
recorded that on one occasion, naumachiarii
—captives and criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval encounters—addressed Caesar with the words Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant
! ("Hail, Caesar! Those who are about to die salute you!") in an attempt to avoid death. The expression is not recorded as being used in Roman times on any other occasion.
The Vulgate
version of the Annunciation
translates the salute of the angel to Mary, Mother of Jesus as Ave Maria
, gratia plena ("Hail Mary, full of grace").
Ave Maria is a Catholic Marian prayer that also has inspired authors of religious music.
Fascist regimes during the 20th century also adopted the greeting. It was used during Nazi Germany
in the indirect German
translation, heil.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word, used by the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
s as a salutation
Salutation (greeting)
A salutation is a greeting used in a letter or other written communication, such as an email. Salutations can be formal or informal. The most common form of salutation in a letter is Dear followed by the recipient's given name or title...
and greeting
Greeting
Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship or social status between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other...
, meaning "hail". It is the singular imperative
Imperative mood
The imperative mood expresses commands or requests as a grammatical mood. These commands or requests urge the audience to act a certain way. It also may signal a prohibition, permission, or any other kind of exhortation.- Morphology :...
form of the verb avēre, which meant "to be well"; thus one could translate it literally as "be well" or "farewell".
The Classical Latin pronunciation of ave was ˈaweː. In Church Latin, it is ideally ˈave, and in English, it tends to be pronounced ˈ.
The term was notably used to greet the Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
or other authorities. Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
recorded that on one occasion, naumachiarii
Naumachia
The naumachia in the Ancient Roman world referred to both the re-enactment of naval battles and the basin in which this took place....
—captives and criminals fated to die fighting during mock naval encounters—addressed Caesar with the words Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant
Ave Caesar morituri te salutant
"Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant" or "Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant" is a well-known Latin phrase quoted in Suetonius, De Vita Caesarum...
! ("Hail, Caesar! Those who are about to die salute you!") in an attempt to avoid death. The expression is not recorded as being used in Roman times on any other occasion.
The Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
version of the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
translates the salute of the angel to Mary, Mother of Jesus as Ave Maria
Hail Mary
The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
, gratia plena ("Hail Mary, full of grace").
Ave Maria is a Catholic Marian prayer that also has inspired authors of religious music.
Fascist regimes during the 20th century also adopted the greeting. It was used during Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in the indirect German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
translation, heil.