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![[National arms of the Netherlands]](../images/n/nl).gif)
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by Zoltan Horvath, 7 August 2024The greater coat of arms has a motto of " JE MAINTIENDRAI".
An English book says that it means "We will maintain."
Nozomi Kariyasu, 24 August 2002
This is French. Future tense of the verb "maintenir". The
translation given above is erroneous. "Je" should be "I". "We" would have
been "Nous". Since the motto was the oath of Prince Willem, "I" is definitively
correct.
Ivan Sache, 25 August 2002
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the last sentence. But if you are suggesting
that the motto is comming from Willem de Zwijger (William the Silent) I
think you are wrong. I think the first form of the motto was first used
by René de (Nassau-)Châlons, Prince of Orange, as "Je Maintiendray
Châlons". When his cousin Willem I (the Silent) became Prince
of Orange, he changed it to "Je Maintiendray Nassau". After him
it simply became "Je Maintiendray", which I presume is an older
spelling of "Je Maintiendrai".
Mark Sensen, 25 August 2002
Smith refers to "the oath of Prince
William", and the only thing I knew on this topic is that there are several
Princes William in Dutch history.
Concerning "Maintiendray", you are most probably right. The
French orthography was not fixed at all at that time. "Maintiendroi"
and "Maintiendroy" could have been used, too.
Ivan Sache, 26 August 2002