I am trying to find out what the "secret" motto of the Kappa Delta
sorority is. The letters that represent the motto are "AOT"...these
letters are supposed to stand for something. I want to know what that
something is. Through my research I have found that it MIGHT
(speculation) have been taken from line 1165 of Beowulf, however, that
is PURE SPECULATION. The motto DOES NOT stand for "ALways on Top" or
"Always on Time".

I want to know EXACTLY what the letters stand for and what the motto means.

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Request for Question Clarification by denco-ga on 16 Sep 2004 15:47 PDT

Howdy professorman-ga.

A former Kappa Delta and told me the AOT motto and it does comes close to the
(old English) Beowulf speculation.  That, however, is all I have. 
Would the exact motto (with the old English connection) be sufficient?
 Thanks!

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Question Clarification by denco-ga on 16 Sep 2004 15:50 PDT

Let's try this again.  Apologies on the errors and formatting.

Howdy professorman-ga,

A former Kappa Delta told me the AOT motto and it does comes close to the
(old English) Beowulf speculation.  That, however, is all I have.  Would
the exact motto (with the old English connection) be sufficient?  Thanks!

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Question by professorman-ga on 16 Sep 2004 18:07 PDT

If you heard the information from a reliable Kappa Delta sister, then
that answer is good enough for me.

Thanks!!!!

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Request for Question Clarification by denco-ga on 16 Sep 2004 20:02 PDT

Howdy professorman-ga,

I am going to post this as a request for clarification, lest you are
getting less than you need.  First, yes, this is from a reliable Kappa
Delta sister.

The motto behind AOT is "Each to the other true."

Let's compare that to the phrase from Beowulf, "æghwylc oðrum trywe"
(or Aeghwylc Othrum Trywe) which could be acronymized to AOT.

In "Gæst, gender, and kin in Beowulf: Consumption of the Boundaries"
Carolyn Anderson translates the phrase to modern English.
http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/Anderson1.html

"... each was true to the other ..."

Yes, still speculation that this phrase from Beowulf is the absolute
source of the AOT motto, but not bad speculation in my book.  If that
is good enough for you I can repost this as an answer.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Question by professorman-ga on 16 Sep 2004 20:13 PDT

WOW!!! That is perfect!!! I was just reading though the Beowulf text
but didn't see the connection until I read your post.

The answer is perfect..thank you so much.

Howdy professorman-ga,

The motto behind AOT is "Each to the other true."

Let's compare that to the phrase from Beowulf, "æghwylc oðrum trywe"
(or Aeghwylc Othrum Trywe) which could be acronymized to AOT.

In "Gæst, gender, and kin in Beowulf: Consumption of the Boundaries"
Carolyn Anderson translates the phrase to modern English.
http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/Anderson1.html

"... each was true to the other ..."

The literal (and rough) translations of the words in the phrase are:

æghwylc - each
oðrum - (to the) other
trywe - true

This, in a small way, validates the phrasing of the AOT motto, as the
words in the motto are in the same sequence as the literal phrase.

Yes, still speculation that this phrase from Beowulf is the absolute
source of the AOT motto, but not bad speculation in my book.

If you need any clarification, feel free to ask.


Search strategy:

Spoke with a Kappa Delta "sister" on the subject.

Google search on: Beowulf
://www.google.com/search?q=Beowulf

Google search on: "æghwylc oðrum trywe"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22%C3%A6ghwylc+o%C3%B0rum+trywe%22

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Thanks for the 5 star rating, professorman-ga.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

AOT means "Angels of Truth". Don't know why, but I promise that is what it is!

This is somewhat overdue, however, I was a Kappa Delta some time ago
and just happened upon your question.  The meaning, as far as I know,
is not from Beowulf.  It was developed by the four founders and based
off of the ritual of a nearby chapter of a local fraternity.  It
parallels the sorority's open motto:

"Ta Kala Diokomen: Let us strive for that which is honorable,
beautiful and highest."

AOT is the abbreviation for the transliterated version of the ancient Greek:

"Arete opheleo telos:  Moral excellence accomplishes our end."

In context, it means that all Kappa Delta sisters should strive for
moral excellence and by doing so they will further the organization as
a whole.  Anyone who is familiar with Kappa Delta knows that they put
great emphasis on Christianity, morals, and being ladylike. 
Therefore, moral excellence is the telos or goal/end of Kappa Delta
Sorority.  Ask a Kappa Delta if this is true and watch the expression
on her face.  Hope this helps and guides you down the correct path.