Baron Otard and Penang Free School

Any connection between Baron Otard and Penang Free School/The Old Frees' Association? Yes, but not much at all. In fact, only very fleetingly. An Old Free who is not a drinker probably won't be aware of this, and a drinker who isn't an Old Free probably will not know it either. But for a drinker who is an Old Free, chances are likely that he would have noticed it sometime during his drinking sessions, if he hadn't drunk himself silly first. I belong squarely in the first category.

Picture by Lim Eng Cheong

That is why yesterday, I expressed some surprise when I saw a friend post some pictures of a drinking-and-makan session and this picture appeared: the coat of arms of the Baron Otard brand of cognac. Part of it said "Fortis et Fidelis" and in my head, I went, "Huh?"

That's almost exactly the motto shared by both my alma mater, Penang Free School, and the alumni body I belong to, The Old Frees Association, except that it is "Fortis atque Fidelis". So what's the difference between "et" and "atque"? Not very much, it seems. 

In Latin, both conjunctions mean "and". However, there are some differences in their usage and nuances. 

"Et" is the most common word for "and" in Latin and is used to connect words, phrases or clauses. It is a neutral conjunction that signifies a continuation or addition of ideas without any particular emphasis. 

"Atque" is also used to mean "and" but it carries a slightly different connotation compared to "et". "Atque" is often used to indicate a stronger connection or a closer relationship between the things being joined. It can be translated as "and also", "and even" or "and particularly". It implies that the second item is more closely associated with the first one. All these as explained by ChatGPT.

As for "fortis" and "fidelis", they are adjectives that carry different meanings. "Fortis" means "strong", "courageous" or "brave", and conveys the idea of physical or moral strength, courage or resilience. It can be used to describe people, objects or abstract concepts. 

"Fidelis" means "faithful" or "loyal", which signifies trustworthiness, reliability and steadfastness in relationships or commitments. It is commonly used to describe someone's loyalty, fidelity or devotion. While both "fortis" and "fidelis" are positive qualities, they differ in their emphasis. 

"Fortis" primarily relates to strength and courage, whereas "fidelis" primarily pertains to loyalty and faithfulness. 

In the case of Penang Free School, our motto has always been explained as "strong and faithful". As for Baron Otard Cognac, their motto means "strength and loyalty", the values upheld by Baron Jean-Baptiste Antoine Otard in his time.

A bit of historical trivia. When did Penang Free School adopt "Fortis atque Fidelis" as its motto? It cannot be as long as the school itself because when the Prince of Wales' Island Free School was founded, it was only a modest schoolhouse using some rented premises in Love Lane. Only when the Free School became more established was there a school crest. And even then, the motto was added later. 

So the question remains: when was the motto adopted? For the answer, check out page 128 of Let the Aisles Proclaim.