The Quiz: The Latin term “alma mater” most commonly refers to what?
A horse
A ship
A judge
A school
The Latin phrase “alma mater” is used by alumni to describe their former schools. The phrase translates to “nourishing mother.” This connotation implies that a learning institution gives “birth” to the intellectual self of a person, making the school a mother of sorts. Alma maters can also be official school songs, which are often sung by alumni — another Latin word that means “pupils.”
The correct answer to this quiz is A school.