Great Seal of New Mexico with the motto "crescit eundo."

"Crescit eundo" is the State Motto of the U.S. State of New Mexico. It is Latin in origin and can be translated to "It grows as it goes" or "It increases as it goes", though the former is the official translation for the motto. Not GFDL. Seal of the state of New Mexico. ... Not GFDL. Seal of the state of New Mexico. ... Here is a list of state mottos for the states of the United States. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties/Parishes/Boroughs, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ...

History

The motto was first used in 1882, when acting Territorial Secretary, William G. Ritch, added the Latin phrase "Crescit eundo" to an early 1860's version of the territorial seal. In 1887, Ritch's version of the seal, including the words "Crescit eundo," was adopted by the legislature as part of the official New Mexico Territory seal and coat of arms. When New Mexico became a state in 1912, the Legislature appointed a commission to settle on a design for an official "state" seal. As it turned out, the commission recommended the territorial seal to be continued as the state seal, including the words "Crescit eundo" which were then adopted as the official state motto. Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... The New Mexico Territory became an organized territory of the United States on September 9, 1850, and it existed until New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Contextual translation

The motto has been criticized for being irrelevant as many fail to understand it because it has no applicable meaning. However, it is actually a quotation from the first-century B.C. Latin poet Lucretius in his epic poem De Rerum Natura (On The Nature of Things) book VI. In context it refers to the motion of a thunderbolt across the sky, which acquires power and momentum as it goes. Once one realizes that the motto is comparing the state of New Mexico to a mighty thunderbolt flashing across the sky, it gives a whole new meaning to the expression. Lucretius Titus Lucretius Carus (c. ... Not to be confused with The Nature of Things, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television show about natural science. ... Typical cartoon representations of thunderbolts A thunderbolt is a traditional expression for a discharge of lightning or a symbolic representation thereof. ...