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I'm trying to translate into English the three-word motto of a student newspaper from around 1880.

That motto is "Prosta Ac Vince."

Knowing some Latin, I think the motto means "Step Forth and Conquer" -- but I am merely guessing.

Can anyone confirm the meaning of the phrase? (I myself can find the phrase "ac vinci" in at least one very old source, but w/o a translation; and I cannot find the entire phrase in any published work, except in the student newspaper in question.)

Thanks kindly!

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It's prosta ac vince. As you can see from that link, there was (or still is, if it's the same paper?) a paper that used that motto. It's not really "step forth", though, but "stand forth" (minor distinction, maybe) or "stand out". For the rest, ac means "and" and vince, like prosta, is the imperative and means "conquer."

[Old post]
If it really is vinci, they either made a mistake (perhaps mistaking it for the Italian imperative or influenced by Leonardo Da Vinci) or maybe are punning on Da Vinci's name. It's possible, but unlikely, that they are referring to vincio, which means "to fasten, to bind," the imperative of which would also be vinci.

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    Yes, my error: it's "prosta ac vince". I'll edit the initial posting. Also, it was a newspaper put together by children between the ages of five and about twelve, so I don't think there was a risqué pun intended. Thanks!
    – skb8721
    Commented May 10, 2023 at 21:07
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    @skb8721 Updated the answer, too, and removed the risqué part, but that information could also be added to your question, so no one else reading it has the same idea I had.
    – cmw ♦
    Commented May 10, 2023 at 21:39

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