ETYM Italian motto a word, a saying, Latin muttum a mutter, a grunt, cf. muttire, mutire, to mutter, mumble; prob. of imitative origin. Related to Mot a word.
A favorite saying of a sect or political group; SYN. slogan, catchword, shibboleth.
Leitspruch, Wahlspruch, Devise.
Eine treffend formulierte Lebensregel oder Erkenntnis; in der Lit. als Epigramm, Sentenz, Devise, Motto.