# "CEP" on old headstone: meaning? Latin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480 "2006-04-20T15:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/1 "2006-04-20T15:32:08Z")
My family has an old family cemetery down in central Texas, and one of the headstones has an inscription on it reading “CEP.” A little googling shows other people have seen this same inscription on their own family’s headstones, but so far no definitive answers on what it means. My best guess is that it’s “RIP” in another language, possibly Latin, something like “Cesso En Pax” (I know the declension isn’t right on that, but that’s the closest I can do it). The person in the grave was German-American, if that makes any difference. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/2 "2006-04-20T15:59:38Z")
RIP is already the Latin acronym for “Rest In Peace” (_Requiescat In Pacem_). I don’t know what CEP means but it isn’t RIP. It’s probably not even Latin. I know this isn’t very helpful but at least you can rule something out. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/3 "2006-04-20T16:12:56Z")
Just a couple of guesses-- it might have either a religious or military significance. It might also be an abbreviation rather than an acronym. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/4 "2006-04-20T16:26:24Z")
[This site may be able to help.](http://members.aol.com/TombView/symbol.html) No promises though, as it is blocked from my work computer. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/5 "2006-04-20T16:41:40Z")
Further web searching makes me think it may be the abbreviated name of some fraternal organization rather than an abbreviation of a phrase in another language. Good candidates would be Catholic or Christian organizations. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/6 "2006-04-20T16:44:47Z")
Military had crossed my mind, but this was a woman, who died in 1887, so probably not. As far as I know, my family’s been protestant on both sides since way way back. One suggestion I came across: Cessit En Paccem, “died in peace.” Would that work? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/7 "2006-04-20T17:11:29Z")
Cenotaph? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cep-on-old-headstone-meaning-latin/353480/8 "2006-04-20T17:13:18Z")
WAG: _Cursum perficio_ is (loosely) “the race is run” (literally), “I have completed the race.” I wonder if it was ever written as _ **C** ursum **e** st **p** erfectus_ (“The race is completed”) and abbreviated CEP? In doing a web search, I found references to it on both German and Italian headstones, so it would seem the Latin might be the best source language.