Nutrisco et extinguo
“I nourish and I extinguish.”
Motto of Francis I of France
What does “Nutrisco et extinguo” mean?
Nutrisco et extinguo translates as “I nourish and I extinguish.”
The same force can feed what is good and destroy what is bad. It suggests power used with judgment, giving life in one place and ending harm in another.
“Nutrisco et extinguo” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrisco | I nourish | first person singular present active indicative of nutrisco, “to nourish, feed” (an inchoative verb in -sco) |
| et | and | conjunction joining the two verbs |
| extinguo | I extinguish | first person singular present active indicative of extinguo, “to put out, quench” |
How to pronounce “Nutrisco et extinguo”
The two pronunciations are nearly identical. The only difference is the g in extinguo: Classical gives a hard g as in “go” (STING-gwoh), the Church style a soft, Italianate gn (STEEN-gwoh). Stress falls on the second syllable of nutrisco and extinguo.
The story behind it
Word for word the motto reads “I nourish and I extinguish”: two verbs in the first person, with no object stated. The speaker is the fire itself, which feeds what is good and puts out what is bad.
It was the personal motto of King Francis I of France, who reigned from 1515 to 1547. He paired it with the salamander as his emblem, a creature long believed to live in fire without being burned.
The salamander and its motto appear in the architecture and decoration Francis commissioned, notably at the Château de Chambord and the Château de Fontainebleau. The same image is still used as a symbol of the French Renaissance monarchy.
How to use “Nutrisco et extinguo”
Suits a fire-themed logo, a salamander tattoo or a motto for someone who wants to express power used with judgment, building up in one place and ending harm in another. It also works as a caption for Renaissance or heraldry-related art.
- Latin
- Nutrisco et extinguo
- English
- I nourish and I extinguish.
- Source
- Motto of Francis I of France
- Era
- Renaissance
- Theme
- Power
Common mistakes
- The motto is sometimes shortened to “Nutrisco” alone, which loses the contrast between feeding and putting out.
- The subject is the fire, so the quote is not about a person “nourishing” in a gentle sense. Both verbs describe the same force.
- It is often printed as “Nutrisco et extinguo” without a source. It belongs to Francis I and his salamander emblem, not to a classical author.
- Some versions add a different word order or change the verbs, so check that a tattoo or engraving matches the Latin exactly.
Questions about “Nutrisco et extinguo”
What does “Nutrisco et extinguo” mean literally?
“I nourish and I extinguish.” The speaker is the fire in the king’s emblem, which feeds the good and destroys the bad.
Who used the motto “Nutrisco et extinguo”?
It was the motto of King Francis I of France, who ruled from 1515 to 1547, and it accompanied his salamander emblem.
Why is there a salamander with “Nutrisco et extinguo”?
The salamander was believed to live in fire and even to put it out. Francis I adopted it as his emblem, and the motto spells out its double power.
How do you pronounce “Nutrisco et extinguo”?
Classical: noo-TRIS-koh et ek-STING-gwoh. Church Latin: noo-TRIS-koh et ek-STEEN-gwoh. Stress the second syllable of both verbs.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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