Mining giant Adani makes monumental error changing its name to 'Bravus' mistakenly believing it means 'brave' in Latin - here's what it REALLY stands for

Mining juggernaut Adani has unveiled its new name as Bravus Mining and Resources - after mistakenly believing the word 'bravus' was Latin for 'brave'.

The name change marked the Indian company's tenth year in Australia, as well as the significant progress they've made on Carmichael thermal coal mine in central Queensland, which may generate up to 10,000 jobs.

But various academics have since pointed out 'Bravus' has a much darker meaning, closely relating to the words 'villainous', 'crooked' and 'deformed'. 

Adani Mining has changed its name to Bravus Mining and Resources, claiming the word 'bravus' was derived from the Latin word for brave (pictured Adani Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland)

'We will continue to stand up and deliver for the good of our community, no matter how courageous it requires us to be, and Bravus, our new name, reflects this intent,' Bravus Mining & Resources CEO, David Boshoff said on Thursday.

Mr Boshoff told the Australian Financial Review the word Bravus meant 'courageous' and denied the name change was due to the negativity associated with the term Adani. 

'We believe it took a lot of courage to get where we are and we will stand up for what we believe in,' he said.

'If motivated by that Adani being a toxic it would have made sense to change our name 18 months ago or earlier.'

However, Christopher Bishop from the Australian National University's Centre of Classical Studies said the mining company probably should have double-checked their new name before announcing it.

'They are wrong. It would have to be something like "fortis", for brave, if you are going for your classical,' Dr Bishop told the Guardian. 

He said 'bravus' was related to the medieval Latin word 'bravo' which meant a 'mercenary' or 'assassin'.

Academics have pointed out Adani's new name change may be derived from Latin words with darker meanings such as 'assassin' or 'barbaric' (pictured Stop Adani protest in Sydney, May 2018)

Protesters march through the streets of Brisbane in July, 2019. Many fear the $2billion coal mine will have disastrous effects on the environment

'You have "bravo" - meaning a mercenary, a sword for hire, a tough guy. Which is probably not what they want to associate with. The closest Adani could get is it could have meant "boldness",' he said.

The University of Melbourne's Tim Parkin also weighed in, and said the relations to 'bravus' that he found differed to the meaning Adani had. 

'It tends to be used of someone who is villainous. A crook, or a bandit, or a cut-throat,' he said.

Mr Bishop also suggested the word could be derived from 'pravus' which means depraved or crooked, as well as the Latin word 'barbarus' which means barbaric.

An Adani spokesperson said the name 'Bravus' had been derived from the words 'bold' and 'brave'.

It comes as Bravus' Carmichael mine in the state's Galilee Basin is set to export coal as early as next year.

The $2billion project was approved in June 2019 and will allow for 10million tonnes of coal to be exported every year. The company also claims it will create up to 10,000 jobs.

But the mine has also become a Over the past decade environmental activists have worked long and hard to stop the mine from being approved, kick-starting the 'Stop Adani' campaign.

More than 20 people, including Traditional Owners of Wangan and Jagalingou country, stood outside the central Queensland facility in August 

Protesters across the nation rallied against Indian company Adani's plans for the mine in the Galilee Basin back in October, 2017

Opponents to the mine believe it will damage the already ravaged Great Barrier Reef (pictured protest in Bondi Beach, October 2017)

These groups believe the project will destroy Indigenous land and waters and will have detrimental effects on the already suffering Great Barrier Reef.

In February this year, Adani was fined $20,000 for giving the Queensland government false information about land clearing.

The company pleaded guilty to the offence after the state environment department charged it last year over clearing at the Carmichael mine site in 2018.

The case relates to information in Adani's 2017/2018 annual return for the central Queensland mine, with the department accusing the miner of failing to report a disturbance area of more than 5.8 hectares.

There have been several protests across Australia regarding the Adani coal mine (protest in Melbourne 2017 pictured)

Countless protests over the mine have erupted across the country in recent years.

In August, 20 Aboriginal protesters blocked the main road to the coal mine in a bid to stop construction. 

Meanwhile in April 2019, 400 Adani protesters swarmed the small town, much to the ire of locals.

Residents, who are mainly pleased about employment opportunities the mine will produce, refused to serve the activists at cafes and restaurants.

Famously at the end of 2017, thousands of protesters participated in 45 different rallies across Australia.

Around 1500 people attended a protest on Bondi Beach, using their bodies to spell out '#StopAdani' on the sand. 

A further 2,000 protesters packed a Melbourne park carrying placards which read 'Protect our Future'. 

So far, the Carmichael mine has employed 1,500 people and created $1.5billion worth of contracts. 

Crowds gather on Sydney's Bondi Beach to ally against a proposed coal mine in North Queensland in 2017