Hey friend! As a tech geek and data analyst who loves streaming and gaming, I‘m excited to provide an in-depth look at the meaning behind the fascinating Latin phrase "Unus Annus." Stick with me through this epic journey into the world of Memento Mori, human anatomy, and the cherished legends of Markiplier‘s now extinct YouTube channel.
A Brief History of Unus Annus
First things first – Unus Annus translates simply to "One Year" in English. But it represents so much more! This badass Latin slogan was the name of a popular YouTube channel created on November 13th, 2019 by Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Ethan Nestor-Darling (CrankGameplays).
These YouTube legends uploaded offbeat videos daily for exactly 365 days before deleting the entire channel on November 13th, 2020. It existed for one year, or unus annus, to remind over 4.5 million transfixed subscribers about life‘s impermanence. According to SocialBlade, Unus Annus racked up nearly 365 million views in its short but epic lifespan!
The full Latin phrase was "Memento mori, unus annus" – meaning "Remember death, one year." Kinda dark, but it hits deep!
Memento Mori, Unus Annus – Remember Death, One Year
Memento mori is an ancient Latin mantra meaning "remember you must die." It‘s a sobering reminder of our inevitable mortality and the transient nature of earthly life.
Pairing this with Unus Annus ("one year") doubled down on emphasizing how fleeting our time here really is. Markiplier and CrankGameplays wanted to create an entirely unique, time-limited experience that people would fondly remember. And boy did they succeed!
Unus Annus became a wildly popular cultural phenomenon, gaining millions of dedicated fans in just 12 months. This statistical table summarizes the channel‘s insane growth:
| Launch Date | Nov 13, 2019 |
| End Date | Nov 13, 2020 |
| Lifespan | 1 year |
| Total Videos | 365 |
| Total Views | ~365 million |
| Subscribers | 4.5 million |
Talk about going out with a bang! After 365 daily uploads, Mark and Ethan permanently deleted the entire channel, cementing its legendary status as a one-of-a-kind memento mori.
Breaking Down the Meaning of Unus and Annus
The two root words that form Unus Annus when combined are:
Unus
This Latin adjective has several meanings:
- Alone, single, sole
- One set of (denoting an entity)
- One, a single thing
So in the context of the channel name, it represents the "one" in "one year." Pretty straightforward!
Annus
Also Latin, this noun simply translates to "year." Annus referred to the 365 day lifespan of Unus Annus when paired with its counterpart Unus.
Annus does NOT relate to the human anus or our anatomy in any way, despite what some naughty-minded fans speculated! It strictly means "year" in this phrase.
The Origins and Evolution of Unus
Digging deeper, unus originates from the Proto-Indo-European language, the ancestor of Latin. Proto-Indo-European spans back over 5,500 years!
Unus descended from the Proto-Indo-European word *oy-no-s, meaning "one." As it evolved into Latin, unus took on connotations of singularity and oneness.
Its grammaticalization into an indefinite article in the Romance languages influenced the eventual development of "a" and "an" in English!
So this humble little Latin adjective has had a huge impact on language over millennia. It lives on in modern vocabulary related to unity, union, universe, and uniquely. Not bad for a word that just means "one"!
Appreciating the Message of Memento Mori Unus Annus
Unus Annus served as a poignant memento mori, reminding millions of viewers to seize the day and make their lives count. Mark and Ethan emphasized appreciating the present and making every fleeting moment matter.
Their videos spanned cooking, exercising, zany stunts, and thought-provoking topics – all centered around the Carpe Diem theme. Fans came away with a renewed perspective on mortality, savoring life‘s temporariness.
Unus Annus taught us some powerful lessons:
- Life is ephemeral; appreciate every moment
- Be present; don‘t dwell on the past or future
- Make the most of your finite time
- Cherish friends, family, and memories
- Don‘t take yourself too seriously! Have fun
- Death awaits us all; no one escapes it
Memento Mori my friends… in the end, we‘ll all just be Wikipedia footnotes. But our impact on others can live on. What will your Unus Annus legacy be?
Thanks for taking this contemplative journey with me! Sending you good vibes as you seize the day.
