What Does the Term “Alma Mater” Mean and Where Did the Term Come From?

It all starts in kindergarten, a German concept meaning “children’s garden,” where the atmosphere for learning should be as pleasant for a child as being in a garden.

School follows the same philosophy and is from a Greek word for leisure.

When university students refer to their alma maters, they are speaking Latin for “nursing mother,” in this case one which nourishes the mind.

An institution of learning called a “kindergarten” or a “school” and referred to by students as their “alma mater” when they graduate.