A motto and a mutter come from the same Latin grunt — the loftiest maxim and the quietest mumble share one ancestor.
A short sentence or phrase adopted as expressing the guiding principle, ideal, or character of a person, family, or institution.
From Italian motto ('word, saying, sentence'), from Late Latin muttum ('grunt, word'), from Latin muttire ('to mutter, murmur'), of imitative origin. The word evolved from a grunt to a maxim. Key roots: muttire (Latin: "to mutter, murmur (imitative origin)"), muttum (Late Latin: "a grunt, a word").
The word "motto" shares its root with "mutter" and the French mot ("word") — all from the Latin muttire, meaning to grunt or murmur. So the loftiest state motto ("E pluribus unum") and the humblest mutter under your breath descend from the same imitation of a half-formed sound. The French bon mot ("good word," meaning a witty remark) is a direct