In Fide Scientiam?

[Rufus Coppertop]

This is a school motto which allegedly means "To Our Faith, Add Knowledge".

Am I the only one who thinks the translation doesn't work and neither does the original Latin?

Where is the verb addere? I know that the verb 'to be' is often left unsaid but is leaving our other verbs a valid thing?

 

[Pacifica]

Other verbs can sometimes be left out, yes, when the intended meaning is clear. I wouldn't say it's especially clear here. We do know that scientiam is the object of some implied verb, since it's in the accusative, but there isn't much information to go on in order to guess the verb. Addere wouldn't have come to mind. In fide doesn't really mean "to our faith", either.

 

[Pacifica]

Maybe the verb most likely to be guessed here would actually be something along the lines of invenire. But nothing at all points toward addere.

 

[Rufus Coppertop]

No. It doesn't.
Unfortunately there's a lot of bad Latin being used as mottoes by schools.
Laboris gloria ludi comes to mind. The Camborne School of Mining use it as their motto. Allegedly, it means "Work hard, Play hard".

 

[Pacifica]

I googled in case the words were a fragment from some famous-ish text which the learned reader was supposed to recognize (just as you'd know that cano was to follow if you read the words arma virumque) but I didn't find anything. So, yeah, probably just one of those mess-ups.

 

[Rufus Coppertop]

I've met people who seriously believe that "non illegitimi carborundum" means "don't let the bastards get you down."
In obscuris temporibus vivimus.

 

[Inak]

The second link from Google alleges 2 Peter 1:5

ministrate in fide vestra virtutem, in virtute autem scientiam

 

[Iacobinus]

"To add", then, probably comes from King James Bible: "add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge".
The Revised version translates it as "in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge".