AD – Anno Domini

What does A.D. or AD stand for?  It is a Latin abbreviation for Anno Domini, which means the “Year of our Lord”.  AD corresponds with the Julian and the Gregorian calendar and represents a shift in time.  Anno Domini is representative of the birth of Jesus Christ and begins with AD1.  The time prior to this shift is known as BC or Before Christ. 

Stock photo from Google images

AD is commonly used on cornerstones.  The cornerstone of a building is indicative of the strongest part of the foundation and will often be marked with the inception date of that structure (more often the dates will be in Roman numerals).

Military mottos

Many organizations have mottos, and according to Dictionary-Reference.com a motto is defined as:

Motto –n, pl –toes, -tos

1.       A short saying expressing the guiding maxim or ideal of a family, organization, etc., esp when part of a coat of arms.

The military has mottos that describe their organization identities.  I have examples of three military services that have Latin mottos.   The first service is the United States Coast Guard and their motto is “Semper Paratus”, which means always prepared or always ready.   The next service is the United States Navy and their motto is “Non sibi sed patriae”, which means not self, but country.   The last, but not the least, is the United States Marine Corps. Their motto is (the best known of the three listed) “Semper Fidelis” which means always faithful or always loyal.