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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)[reply]

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)[reply]

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)[reply]

Ufo

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

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 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. [[User:Rossami|Rossami]] 21:46, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)
-==Cleanup==
+== Current usage ==
-Cleanup recommended. This article is all over the place. In definite need of disambiguation, reorganization. [[User:Jareha|jareha]] 06:24, 5 November 2005 (UTC)
-:I've disambiguated this article. Would like to know if there's a consensus that cleanup is complete. [[User:Jareha|jareha]] 00:45, 9 November 2005 (UTC)
-::Removed cleanup tag. [[User:Jareha|jareha]] 22:38, 5 December 2005 (UTC)
-==latin usage==
-I was taught that latin often did not use capital letters- should we refer to it as 'alma mater', or am I missing something? :)
-:The 2 dictionaries I checked (the Oxford American Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary) both list both the capitalized and lowercase spellings as correct. According the normal rules for English spelling, it is not a proper noun nor perceived by a normal native speaker as being derived from one, so the preferred spelling would be lowercase.
-:The conventions of the Latin language are irrelevant. When a word is borrowed into another language, it adopts the conventions that the borrowing language assigns to it, which may be the same as or closer to either the original or the borrowing language. This often corresponds to, but is not necessarily a function of, the degree to which the borrowed word has been nativized. In English, this is usually rule governed, but can vary on a case-by-case basis.[[User:Bostoner|Bostoner]] ([[User talk:Bostoner|talk]]) 01:57, 26 August 2008 (UTC)
-::More to the point, the assertion is completely wrong.  Latin was written ''only'' in capital letters.  Later, cursive script was invented, and this evolved into the upper/lower case conventions we have today.  — [[User:Chameleon|''Chameleon'']] 05:14, 16 September 2009 (UTC)
-Actually "Alma" in latin means "Soul". Alma Mater means "The mother of the soul". --[[Special:Contributions/168.205.156.183|168.205.156.183]] ([[User talk:168.205.156.183|talk]]) 19:00, 20 April 2017 (UTC)
-No, "alma" is the Spanish word for "soul". Latin is the language of Ancient Rome. Latin and Spanish are two entirely different languages. The way to say "soul" in Latin is "anima".  <!-- Template:Unsigned --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:GiannaZarelli|GiannaZarelli]] ([[User talk:GiannaZarelli#top|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/GiannaZarelli|contribs]]) 15:29, 10 January 2019 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
-== 2007-01-31 Automated pywikipediabot message ==
-{{transwikied to Wiktionary}}  --[[User:CopyToWiktionaryBot|CopyToWiktionaryBot]] 22:45, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
-== Matriculation, from the Latin ??? ==
-I am confused, this page says
-  "The word matriculation is derived from the Latin root word mater."
-But the "matricualtion" page says
-  "Matriculation, ..., from the Latin matrix" meaning "list" or "register"
-Are they both right? How?
-BTW, one of the old meanings of "matrix" appears to be "womb"
-From the "mater" page
-  māter (genitive mātris); f, third declension
-At any rate, I'm confused - clarification would be appreiciated :)
-[[User:Q Science|Q Science]] 18:47, 18 April 2007 (UTC)
-:M<small>Á → MÁTER → MÁTRIX → MÁTRICVLA → MÁTRICVLÁTIÓ</small> — [[User:Chameleon|''Chameleon'']] 05:16, 16 September 2009 (UTC)
-== British English ==
-I have never once heard this phrase being used in the UK [[User:Cls14|Cls14]] 23:44, 25 July 2007 (UTC)
-: The OED has the following definition for Alma mater:
-:: " A title given by the Romans to several goddesses, especially to Ceres and Cybele, and '''transferred in Eng. to Universities and schools regarded as ‘fostering mothers’ to their alumni.'''"
-:(emphasis added). I would tend to trust the OED when it comes to British English. The term is commonly used in the second sense in all varieties of English. --[[User:PalaceGuard008|PalaceGuard008]] ([[User_Talk:PalaceGuard008|Talk]]) 12:14, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
-::''Alma mater'' is a common expression in British English, used to describe one's school, college, university, or similar place of education.--[[User:Oxonian2006|Oxonian2006]] ([[User talk:Oxonian2006|talk]]) 22:49, 19 September 2008 (UTC)
-In my experience,  Alma Mater is rarely used in British English except in a mock-pretentious, jocular sense.  It's not used in Who's Who and I've not seen it other British biographical reference books. I find it rather jarring that Wikipedia uses it in British biographical pages, and I would rather it be replaced with "Educated".  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/87.81.140.128|87.81.140.128]] ([[User talk:87.81.140.128|talk]]) 13:40, 23 July 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
-I have to agree with above comment - I've never heard this used in UK English and it's incongruous to see it on British bios. [[Special:Contributions/86.21.181.133|86.21.181.133]] ([[User talk:86.21.181.133|talk]]) 00:02, 6 January 2012 (UTC)
-:Agreed. Obviously the term is usually understood in the UK but only the very pretentious would use it or those using it in a jocular manner.  By and large this is a term used in the USA.--[[Special:Contributions/114.164.195.225|114.164.195.225]] ([[User talk:114.164.195.225|talk]]) 13:52, 20 May 2012 (UTC)
-:I would have to agree. The fact that I've needed to come and look up what the term means, tells me that outside of the "old" universities (Oxford, Cambridge, possibly UCL) the term just simply is *not* used in the UK. Furthermore, taking in to account that I'm educated to degree level and having worked in London for over 10 years, no one I've come in to contact with on a professional level (financial area, Software engineering) has used the term "Alma Mater" when referring to their education. [[User:Memsom|Memsom]] ([[User talk:Memsom|talk]]) 15:02, 31 October 2012 (UTC)
-::Agreed. It isn't part of global English and so shouldn't be used as a standard category in Wikipedia. Similarly, British writers shouldn't talk about ''going up'' to a particular Oxford or Cambridge college. That phrase isn't even mainstream British English but is part of the language of an exclusive group (many of whom went to those colleges!).  <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/86.136.227.80|86.136.227.80]] ([[User talk:86.136.227.80#top|talk]]) 14:53, 7 November 2016 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
-:::I also strongly agree. I came to this page as a result of seeing Alma Mater used in the infobox of a bio of a British MP. It really jarred. The term is broadly undestood in the UK but isn't much used. It is perceived as an Americanism, in a similar way to 'majoring' in a subject or referring to a university as a 'school'. --[[User:Ef80|Ef80]] ([[User talk:Ef80|talk]]) 17:15, 8 December 2016 (UTC)
-== two universities, one alma mater? ==
-Assume someone went to college at C University and then professional school at P University, business/law/medical/etc. (and assume that both schools are in e.g. the USA).  Is C the only "alma mater" because e.g. generally a person has only one mother?  (Of course we are merely speaking here of general usage, and any resulting general conclusion would always be subject to exceptions, e.g. where the person declared a greater affinity to P.)  The article is basically silent on this question, and other reference sources i looked at left me with the question.  Thanks.  [[User:Bo99|Bo99]] ([[User talk:Bo99|talk]]) 18:24, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
-: Your alma mater is where you received your ''first'' undergradate degree. Graduate school/postgrad professional school doesn't count. - Maggie --[[Special:Contributions/74.14.110.185|74.14.110.185]] ([[User talk:74.14.110.185|talk]]) 00:03, 29 April 2008 (UTC)
-:: Can someone find a reference to back up Maggie so we can put this important discriminant on the article page. After all, this designation is part of the biography template in common use; users should find this answer in the lead of the article (for efficiency sake).[[User:Rgdboer|Rgdboer]] ([[User talk:Rgdboer|talk]]) 00:12, 27 June 2008 (UTC)
-:::I think Maggie is being rather silly. I don't know what she means by, 'Graduate school/postgrad professional school doesn't count.' I am happy to speak of my several ''almae matres''.--[[User:Oxonian2006|Oxonian2006]] ([[User talk:Oxonian2006|talk]]) 22:49, 19 September 2008 (UTC)
-::::I think this issue is unclear.... maybe because there is no official opinion on it. What about one who attended a college/university, but earned no degrees? Additionally the University of Bologna is credited for he phrase "alma mater." However, the wikipedia article for the University of Bologna says the university did not adopt the phrase "Alma Mater Studiorum" until 2000. Obviously, this term has existed longer than 8 years. [[User:Aigiqinf|James]] ([[User talk:Aigiqinf|talk]]) 01:21, 11 October 2008 (UTC)
-;;;;;Maggie is right about usage in the USA. Suppose one got a bachelor's degree from University A and a doctoral degree from University B, then A is the alma mater, for which one may go to class reunions, etc. In some WP articles about professors in the United States, the "Alma Mater" is given as University B, perhaps the articles were written by editors from outside the US? (Please excuse boldface, accidental)  [[User:Marlindale|Marlindale]] ([[User talk:Marlindale|talk]]) 03:43, 15 March 2016 (UTC)
-== Sourcing lyrics ==
-Is it permissible to use well-known lyrics websites as a reference for song lyrics? I am particularly thinking of the section in this article that mentions Chuck Berry's use of the phrase in his song "My Ding-a-Ling". He also uses it in his song "Oh Baby Doll", which was a minor hit in 1957. I'd like to add this information, but how can I source it? As most lyrics websites rely on user- or bot-generated content, how reliable are they? [[User:Estesark|Estesark]] ([[User talk:Estesark|talk]]) 09:58, 12 July 2008 (UTC)
-:Unless the phrase is particulary slurred the fact that it appears can be sourced using primary sources.  Ie. use the song as the source.  Take care with due weight and stuff like that though.  [[User:Taemyr|Taemyr]] ([[User talk:Taemyr|talk]]) 11:23, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
-== removing 'In Popular Music' section ==
-Let's be honest, the '[[Alma_mater#In_popular_music|In Popular Music]]' of this article is [[Wikipedia:Trivia_sections|trivia]]. It's not an exhaustive list of references, and it's not intended to be - it certainly is never destined to become one, and it's arguable whether that goal is even beneficial to this article (beyond a 'see also' link). My instinct is to just get rid of it - [[Wikipedia:Handling_trivia#Practical_steps|SOP]] suggests integrating relevant facts into the article itself. Are there any of the items in this section that are worth keeping? Some of them (I'm looking at '[[Immortal_Technique|Immortal Technique's]]' lyrics here in particular) are totally inane and inconsequential.
-Anyone see anything worthwhile about this section?
-MattLohkamp 09:56, 9 January 2009 (UTC)  <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Matt.lohkamp|Matt.lohkamp]] ([[User talk:Matt.lohkamp|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Matt.lohkamp|contribs]]) </span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
-:Alright, I'll remove it, let's discuss if anyone objects. - [[User:Matt.lohkamp|matt lohkamp]] 02:58, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
-:Agreed. After two and one-half years, this section was inexplicably reinstated: "01:55, 24 July 2011 Michael C Price (talk | contribs) (5,491 bytes) (→Monuments: music)"; I've removed it once again. Its inclusion is jarring, inconsistent, and seemingly against wiki policy. If someone wishes to argue for it, I think it would be worthwhile to hear, and I encourage that discussion. [[User:Jeffbadge|Jeffbadge]] ([[User talk:Jeffbadge|talk]]) 21:34, 1 August 2011 (UTC)
-::I thought it was interesting. -- cheers, [[User:Michael C Price|Michael C. Price]] <sup>[[User talk:Michael C Price|talk]]</sup> 23:39, 1 August 2011 (UTC)
-:::Fair enough. After reading through [[WP:IPC]], I've marked this section with the appropriate template for further consideration. Each item here should be compared against the standards suggested at [[WP:IPC]] and, perhaps with some editing, included if found to measure up. However, those which don't meet the bar should be elided in favor of a more succinct article in service to its subject. -[[User:Jeffbadge|Jeffbadge]] ([[User talk:Jeffbadge|talk]]) 17:12, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
-==As a song?==
-I don't believe "alma mater" ever refers to a song.  Not only is "solid evidence" lacking, even the webpage referred to doesn't mention "alma mater". I'm deleting the whole section. [[User:Unfree|Unfree]] ([[User talk:Unfree|talk]]) 01:14, 3 July 2009 (UTC)
-:The Merriam-Webster dictionary reference does include the song meaning (although I've never heard it used that way either). -[[Special:Contributions/131.107.0.77|131.107.0.77]] ([[User talk:131.107.0.77|talk]])  <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|undated]] comment added 20:47, 16 October 2009 (UTC).</span><!--Template:Undated--> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
-==University of Bologna and associated historical claim==
-The article talks about a statue erected a few years ago.  Why?  This seems like non-notable trivia to me.  I suggest deleting it.  (And the dubious claim about the university itself being the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest university]] seems completely irrelevant.)  -[[Special:Contributions/131.107.0.73|131.107.0.73]] ([[User talk:131.107.0.73|talk]]) 20:07, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
-:I just looked at that claim again - it was about being the oldest ''Western'' university, not the oldest university.  So maybe the claim is not so dubious, but who really cares?  I still think that this trivia doesn't belong in an article about the term ''alma mater''.  I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands of times that the term ''alma mater'' has been used (including for the two other statues depicted in the article).  What makes this particular recently-erected statue important enough to get discussed on this page (especially when it isn't one of the statues that shows up in the pictures)?  And (especially) why should the article include a discussion of the age of the university where that statue sits?  I'm going to proceed to remove this material from the article. -[[Special:Contributions/131.107.0.77|131.107.0.77]] ([[User talk:131.107.0.77|talk]]) 20:21, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
-::I guess it wasn't a statue - it was a motto. I suppose I was confusing the remark with other material in the same paragraph about other places having statues.  Anyhow, I edited the article to remove the irrelevant material from the [[University of Bologna]] discussion and reduce its prominence, without removing the mention altogether. -[[Special:Contributions/131.107.0.77|131.107.0.77]] ([[User talk:131.107.0.77|talk]]) 20:34, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
-::The claim in the citation is that it's the oldest university in the Western world, not the Western hemisphere, so I've fixed that.  (Besides, the usual standard is "continuous operation" and in that respect the [[University of Karueein]] in Morocco is several centuries older.) --[[User:SteveFoerster|Steve Foerster]] ([[User talk:SteveFoerster|talk]]) 20:08, 12 June 2017 (UTC)
-== Definition of Alma Mater no OR please. ==
-Michael, what do you think you are doing? Use relaible sources like the Webster dictionary and avoid OR. An educational institute attended by an individual IS indeed an Alma Mater, (See for example [[Bill Gates]],) gratuation is secondary, although it usually occurs in most cases.[[User:Sfsupro|Sfsupro]] ([[User talk:Sfsupro|talk]]) 05:34, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-See Maggie's comment above, and see the example of [[Steven Weinberg]] - alma maters are listed as where he got his batchelors and doctorate, not every institute he has ever attended. (And Bill Gates only attended one, BTW.) --[[User:MichaelCPrice|Michael C. Price]] <sup>[[User talk:Michael C Price|talk]]</sup> 06:31, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-:I understand your point perfectly well. But unitl the Webster dictionary changes the definition it has for Alma Mater, we have to avoid OR.[[User:Sfsupro|Sfsupro]] ([[User talk:Sfsupro|talk]]) 06:39, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-::It's not OR if it's common usage.
-::BTW I see the definition "a school or college from which an individual has graduated or attended." at Wikidictionary.  Why did they say "graduated" if it only means "attended"? Clearly the "or attended" is to cover drop-outs such as [[Bill Gates]].  And think about what "fostering mother" means.
-::--[[User:MichaelCPrice|Michael C. Price]] <sup>[[User talk:Michael C Price|talk]]</sup> 06:55, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-:::Wikitionary says the same thing that Webster does, although Webster is more authoritative. Your interpretation of the "meaning" is again, clearly OR. "fosterin mother" can mean a lot of things, to various people, but that is why we have a dictionary.[[User:Sfsupro|Sfsupro]] ([[User talk:Sfsupro|talk]]) 07:04, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-::::Shorter OED 3rd edition says: '''Universities and schools regarded as 'fostering mothers' to their alumni.'''  Clearly ''attendance'' is not sufficient, and it is weighted heavily towards the early part of one's academic career.  And yes, "fostering mothers" is subjective, which is why we have to look at common usage. (And that still doesn't make it OR, just to forstall your next comment.) --[[User:MichaelCPrice|Michael C. Price]] <sup>[[User talk:Michael C Price|talk]]</sup> 07:16, 21 November 2009 (UTC)
-Actually "Alma" in latin means "Soul". Alma Mater means "The mother of the soul". --[[Special:Contributions/168.205.156.183|168.205.156.183]] ([[User talk:168.205.156.183|talk]]) 19:03, 20 April 2017 (UTC)
-== Should it be the specific college or the whole university? ==
-If a person studied business at [[Cornell University]], should their alma mater in their infobox be "Cornell University" or "Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management"? I believe that a more recognizable representation of a person's alma mater usually refers to the entire university, rather than the specific college of that university. I would rather tell others that I had attended Cornell, rather than saying that I attended the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, because more people recognize the name of Cornell than of its specific schools. I'd like to know other peoples' thoughts on this. :) [[User:Grenadetoenails|Grenadetoenails]] ([[User talk:Grenadetoenails|talk]]) 07:45, 24 July 2011 (UTC)
-:Why not do both, [[Johnson Graduate School of Management]], [[Cornell University]]? -- cheers, [[User:Michael C Price|Michael C. Price]] <sup>[[User talk:Michael C Price|talk]]</sup> 08:38, 24 July 2011 (UTC)
-== What is my Alma mater? ==
-What is my Alma mater, if I receive my M.Sc. from University A, but my Ph.D. from University B? [[Special:Contributions/78.52.147.43|78.52.147.43]] ([[User talk:78.52.147.43|talk]]) 22:32, 27 December 2011 (UTC)
-==Bologna==
-"Alma Mater Studiorum ("Nourishing Mother of Studies") is the motto and original name of the University of Bologna." This appears to be only fifty per cent correct. The reference confirms that the university's motto is "Alma etc." but this was not its original name and was only adopted as a motto in recent years. In the Middle Ages it was commonly known as the Studium. I suggest removing the words "and original name" [[User:Campolongo|Campolongo]] ([[User talk:Campolongo|talk]]) 10:09, 20 November 2012 (UTC)Campolongo
-"Alma" in latin means "soul". --[[Special:Contributions/168.205.156.183|168.205.156.183]] ([[User talk:168.205.156.183|talk]]) 19:06, 20 April 2017 (UTC)
-==Italics==
-In my understanding of [[WP:ITALICS]], the term "alma mater" should not be italicised. This article here is inconsistent it its use of italic type; I suggest to drop it consistently. -- [[User:Michael Bednarek|Michael Bednarek]] ([[User talk:Michael Bednarek|talk]]) 13:42, 20 December 2013 (UTC)
-*I agree the title should not be in italics nor should the presentation in the lead so I boldly removed this. [[User:Otr500|Otr500]] ([[User talk:Otr500|talk]]) 01:28, 8 July 2017 (UTC)
-==Alumnus==
-As far as I'm informed, alumnus means without light. I guess its usage in the anglophone world has been done pretty much wrongly for a long time. For a Romance language speaker, it's hard to conceive this word not as "deprived from light" but as "the one who got nourished", specially because it cannot be used for the graduate, but for students under the process of being taught. <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/150.164.159.153|150.164.159.153]] ([[User talk:150.164.159.153#top|talk]]) 18:47, 6 May 2017‎</small>
-:You are misinformed; see [[alumnus]] and every dictionary. -- [[User:Michael Bednarek|Michael Bednarek]] ([[User talk:Michael Bednarek|talk]]) 22:55, 6 May 2017 (UTC)
-== Multiple? ==
-The article says that one's Alma mater is "a school or university which an individual has attended".
-So if I went to Brown, Harvard, and Princeton, say, for my BA, MA, and PhD respectively, what is my Alma mater?
-This definition seems strange to me. ---[[User:Dagme|Dagme]] ([[User talk:Dagme|talk]]) 04:38, 20 June 2017 (UTC)
-:It seems strange because it is strange. Sometimes there is so much confusion on Wikipedia it is amazing. The reason for much of the confusion can be attributed to sources. Merriam-Webster has Alma mater meaning an institution one simply attended. The same with [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/alma-mater Collins] which states: ''"Your alma mater is the school or university which you went to."'', and ''"the college or school that one attended"''. It does not currently matter if "attended" meant more than just an institution someone went to and dropped out of.
-:Proving this (sources) might be a challenge unlike the article [[Alumnus]] that states: "is a former student, and commonly a graduate, of a school, college, or university.". As currently worded anyone that signs up for college, goes one day and drops out, would be an alumnus. There are other considerations.
-*The [[John Hopkins University]]: [https://alumni.jhu.edu/yourmembership website proclaims] ''"Regardless of when you graduated, what you studied, or what you’re doing now, your diploma makes you a member of this community. Welcome to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association."''.
-*The [[Fordham University]] website, concerning Alumni states: "Be sure to include your name, degree...".
+''"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. --[[User:Vometia|Vometia]] ([[User talk:Vometia|talk]]) 16:05, 8 September 2019 (UTC)
-:The lead of [[:Category:Binghamton University alumni]] states: "This category is for alumni (graduates) of Binghamton University", also known as the State University of New York at Binghamton, who have achieved a degree of notability. This category also contains graduates who attended the university when it was known as Triple Cities College or Harpur College. Maybe this category is just totally biased against someone who registered, went a day, quit, and still became famous? Maybe only people having actually graduated ever became famous?
+: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. -- [[User:GreenC|<span style="color: #006A4E;">'''Green'''</span>]][[User talk:GreenC|<span style="color: #093;">'''C'''</span>]] 16:26, 8 September 2019 (UTC)
-:It is not the job of editors of Wikipedia to be concerned with "truth". A problem is that when [[WP:original research|original research]] creeps in and definitions start to change, there ends up being problems. Historically a person's Alma mater was the institution that person attended and of course graduated from. Anyone show me source where someone mentions or takes pride in failing out of a college and referring to it as that person's Alma mater. An exception would be a billionaire that dropped out to become just that, and was awarded an honorary degree anyway.
+== Which school had the first use? ==
-:Although a post graduate can be a person's Alma mater, it is more often associated with the ''1st degree'', as the others are considered part of continuing or higher education. [[User:Otr500|Otr500]] ([[User talk:Otr500|talk]]) 09:20, 7 July 2017 (UTC)
+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.
-== Title in italics ==
+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. [[User:Nickknack00|Nickknack00]] ([[User talk:Nickknack00|talk]]) 15:55, 11 September 2024 (UTC)
-The title was wrongly italicized. This was mentioned above in the ''Italics'' section pointing to [[Text formatting#Italic type]]. I removed the italics per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Titles]]. Even concerning music the name would not be considered [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Music#Classical music titles|classical music]], [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Music#Popular music|mixtape, or EP title]]. [[User:Otr500|Otr500]] ([[User talk:Otr500|talk]]) 21:44, 14 July 2017 (UTC)
+== Ufo ==
-== The current definition is misleading ==
+mother  earth [[Special:Contributions/207.62.170.211|207.62.170.211]] ([[User talk:207.62.170.211|talk]]) 23:34, 27 January 2023 (UTC)
-It is clear when read in context that the cited definition from the ''Random House Dictionary'' is strongly implying that the predominant meaning of the phrase is the university from which one graduated.  It is much, much rarer to see ''alma mater'' used to refer to a university which one merely attended. Any objections before I clean up this garbage? --[[User:Coolcaesar|Coolcaesar]] ([[User talk:Coolcaesar|talk]]) 22:42, 28 December 2017 (UTC)
-:Hearing no objections, it's fixed. --[[User:Coolcaesar|Coolcaesar]] ([[User talk:Coolcaesar|talk]]) 05:38, 30 January 2018 (UTC)
-::A few months later, but judging from [[User: 99.126.183.171|the IP's]] previous and subsequent revisions, right thing to do. I've reverted further than you did to remove their other deterius. <span style="font-family: Roboto;">'''[[User:Mrschimpf|<span style="color:royalblue4">Nate</span>]]''' <span style="color:#00008B">•</span> <small>''([[User_talk:Mrschimpf|<span style="color:#B8860B">chatter</span>]])''</small></span> 13:06, 2 May 2018 (UTC)