Semper fidelis

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"Semper Fidelis" is Latin for "Always faithful." Best known to Americans as the motto of the United States Marine Corps (often "Semper Fi" (IPA: sɛm pər ˈfаɪ) for short), this phrase has served as a slogan for many families and entities, in many countries, dating at least as far back as the 14th century. Within the groups below, users are listed in chronological order according to when they are believed to have adopted the motto; however, in many cases dates of adoption are not well established.

Contents 1 Families and Individuals 2 Cities 2.1 Exeter 2.2 Lviv 2.3 St. Malo 2.4 White Plains 3 Martial 3.1 The Devonshire Regiment and antecedents 3.2 The West Nova Scotia Regiment 3.3 Cadetcorps of the Dutch Royal Military Academy 3.4 The United States Marine Corps 3.5 Canadian Forces Base Valcartier 3.6 Swiss Grenadier Regiment 3.7 The Republic of China Marine Corps 3.8 Hungarian Government Guard 3.9 Military Institute of Engineering, Brazilian Army 3.10 Serviciul de Protecţie şi Pază 3.11 Submarine Force, Chilean Navy 4 Trivia 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Families and Individuals

• Lynch family (Ireland): Semper Fidelis is the family motto of the Lynch Family. The Lynches were one of the Tribes of Galway who were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the 13th and 16th centuries. Members of the 'Tribes' were considered Old English gentry, and distinguished themselves from the Gaelic peoples who lived in the hinterland of the city. The Lynches were descended from William Le Petit who was one of the Norman knights who settled in Ireland following the grant of Ireland as a fiefdom by Pope Adrian IV to King Henry II of England in the early 12th century. Semper Fidelis appears on the Lynch Family coat of arms. Although the earliest traceable reference to its doing so is James Hardiman's history of Galway published in 1820, the history of the family makes it likely that the motto was in use by the 14th or 15th century.
• Edge family (England): The Edge family of Strelley, Nottinghamshire, were using the motto "Semper fidelis" by, at the latest, 1814 (see UK National Archives document reference DD/E/209/32-34).

[edit] Cities

[edit] Exeter

The City of Exeter, in Devon, England, has used the motto since at least 1660, when it appears in a manuscript of the local chronicler, <a href="/w/in