Splendor sine occasu
“Splendour without setting.”
Motto of British Columbia, Canada
What does “Splendor sine occasu” mean?
Splendor sine occasu translates as “Splendour without setting.”
Brilliance that never fades, like a sun that never sets.
“Splendor sine occasu” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Splendor | splendour, brilliance | nominative singular masculine of splendor, “brightness, brilliance”; the subject or headline noun of the phrase |
| sine | without | a preposition that always takes the ablative case |
| occasu | setting, going down | ablative singular masculine of occasus, “a setting, a falling”; used of the sun it means sunset, and it is the noun behind occidens, “the west” |
How to pronounce “Splendor sine occasu”
The difference is small: the Italianate pronunciation says the i of sine as a long ee, while Classical uses a short i. Stress falls on the first syllable of splendor and the second of occasu.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase reads “splendour without a setting”. Occasus is the ordinary Latin word for the setting of the sun, so the image is of a light that never goes down.
The phrase is not an ancient quotation. It is a modern motto, used on the coat of arms of British Columbia and by Boise State University in Idaho.
The sun is a fitting picture for British Columbia, a province on Canada’s Pacific coast, where the sun sets over the ocean. As a motto, the words promise brightness that does not fade.
How to use “Splendor sine occasu”
It suits a motto for a person, team or project that wants to stay bright over the long term, a card for a retirement or anniversary, or a tattoo with a sun or sunset design. It also fits a caption for a sunset photo, as a nod to the sun that never sets.
- Latin
- Splendor sine occasu
- English
- Splendour without setting.
- Source
- Motto of British Columbia, Canada
- Era
- Modern
- Theme
- Light
Common mistakes
- Occasu is not a verb. It is a noun in the ablative case after sine, so “without setting” is correct and “it does not set” is not.
- Sine always takes the ablative, so do not change occasu to occasus or occasum when you adapt the phrase.
- It is a modern motto, not a line from Cicero or Virgil, so avoid presenting it as a classical quotation.
Questions about “Splendor sine occasu”
What does “Splendor sine occasu” mean literally?
“Splendour without setting”. Occasus is the setting of the sun, so the sense is brilliance that never goes down or fades.
Whose motto is “Splendor sine occasu”?
It is the motto of the Canadian province of British Columbia and of Boise State University. It is not a quote from an ancient author.
How do you pronounce “Splendor sine occasu”?
Classically: SPLEN-dor SIH-neh ok-KAH-soo. In Church Latin the sine becomes SEE-neh, and the rest is much the same.
Is “Splendor sine occasu” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. The grammar is sound: splendor is the nominative noun and occasu is in the ablative, as sine requires. Keep the endings as they are.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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