[Bell Historians] Latin inscription

[John Camp]

At 17:01 on 10 June 2012, Frank King wrote:
> Concerning...

>     PRO PACE ET SALVTATE ELIZABETHAE CANO

> John Camp would prefer salute to salutate.

> So would I, but I can contrive meaning to the given form...

> Taking salutate as coming from salus (salutation) ...

Oh, come on!  "Salutate" is just plain wrong.  "Salus" doesn't mean
salutation, anyway.  It means health or well-being.  You are confusing
the noun "salus" with the verb "salutare" (to salute or greet).

As I have said on ringing-chat, the expression "pro pace et salute" is
commonplace.  It occurs in, for example, the title of the Solemn League
and Covenant of 1643.

> Someone must have checked it out?

It looks as though nobody did so - or that whoever checked it out was
insufficiently acquainted with the declension of "salus" or with the
traditional expression.

John Camp