Ad fontes
“Back to the sources.”
Humanist motto, used by Erasmus
What does “Ad fontes” mean?
Ad fontes translates as “Back to the sources.”
Go back to the original sources. Understand things from where they began, not only through other people’s summaries.
“Ad fontes” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Ad | to, toward | a preposition that takes the accusative case |
| fontes | springs, sources | accusative plural of fons, “spring, fountain”; here used figuratively for the original source of a text or idea |
How to pronounce “Ad fontes”
The only difference is the final syllable: classical -tace (rhyming with “face”) against church -tes (like “tess”). In both, the stress falls on the first syllable of fontes.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “to the springs”. A fons is a spring or fountain, and the image is of going upstream to the place where the water first rises instead of drinking from a stream that others have already muddied.
The motto belongs to the humanists of the Renaissance, who wanted to read the Greek and Latin classics, and the Bible and the Church Fathers, in their original languages instead of relying on medieval commentaries and summaries. Erasmus of Rotterdam, who published a Greek edition of the New Testament in 1516, is the scholar most closely linked with this programme.
The exact two-word phrase is a later summary of the humanist approach, not a line from an ancient author. Today it is used in universities and research for the principle of checking the primary source, and it has also become a motto for reform movements that return to their origins.
How to use “Ad fontes”
Fits a tattoo or desk motto for students, historians, researchers and anyone who values reading the original. It also works in an essay on the Renaissance, humanism or the importance of primary sources, or as a caption for a library or archive photo.
- Latin
- Ad fontes
- English
- Back to the sources.
- Source
- Humanist motto, used by Erasmus
- Era
- Renaissance
- Theme
- Learning
Common mistakes
- It does not mean “to the fountains” as in a decorative water feature. Fontes here means springs or sources, in the sense of origins.
- Ad takes the accusative, so “ad fontibus” is wrong. The ending -ibus is ablative or dative and does not fit after ad.
- It is not a classical Roman saying. It is a Renaissance humanist slogan, so do not credit it to Cicero or another ancient author.
Questions about “Ad fontes”
What does “Ad fontes” mean literally?
“To the springs”, meaning “back to the sources”. A fons is a spring or fountain, used here as an image for the origin of a text or idea.
Who said “Ad fontes”?
It is a humanist motto of the Renaissance, linked especially with Erasmus. It is not a quotation from one ancient author.
How do you pronounce “Ad fontes”?
In Classical Latin: ad FON-tace. In Church Latin: ad FON-tes. The stress is on FON in both.
Is “Ad fontes” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. It is a short, grammatically correct phrase: ad plus the accusative plural of fons. Just keep the spelling exactly as “Ad fontes”.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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