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 Post subject: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Wed 05 Oct 2016 8:04 pm 
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Hello guys!

I am going to be in Ireland in a few days and recent life changing events have made me want to get a tattoo. I would love something descrete and that only myself (and Irish people!) would understand. I really like Ogham writing. Unfortunately, I don't know what would be the exact word in Gaelic who would correctly translate my idea... I would like to say, in a word preferably, that I now have a sense of belonging, or a self knowledge. I don't know how to put it. Would any of you have ideas as which gaelic word would suit for the tattoo?

Thank you!


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Thu 06 Oct 2016 12:21 am 
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Joined: Sun 04 Sep 2011 11:02 pm
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CB-MJ wrote:
Hello guys!

I am going to be in Ireland in a few days and recent life changing events have made me want to get a tattoo. I would love something descrete and that only myself (and Irish people!) would understand. I really like Ogham writing. Unfortunately, I don't know what would be the exact word in Gaelic who would correctly translate my idea... I would like to say, in a word preferably, that I now have a sense of belonging, or a self knowledge. I don't know how to put it. Would any of you have ideas as which gaelic word would suit for the tattoo?

Thank you!

Almost no one in Ireland can read Ogham. It's an ancient writing system which was mostly used for names, and hasn't been current for about 1500 years, except these days among "New Age" people.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Thu 06 Oct 2016 7:33 pm 
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Ok! But then what would be the correct gaelic word? To mean what I'm trying to say.
Thank you for your input!


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Fri 07 Oct 2016 12:29 am 
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CB-MJ wrote:
Ok! But then what would be the correct gaelic word? To mean what I'm trying to say.
Thank you for your input!

Sorry, I missed the actual translation request when I read your post! There is actually a single word in Irish for self-knowledge, although I don't know whether it's a modern creation or something older. In any case it's féinaithne. If you want to say that you have self-knowledge, it would be fairly short:

Tá féinaithne agam is a literal way to say "I have self-knowledge", but in discussing emotions or feelings in Irish, one often uses an idiomatic expression saying that they are "on" you, so perhaps this would sound better (and it's even one letter shorter): Tá féinaithne orm.

For tattoos, we suggest getting three people to agree on it before you do any inking. I don't really think you'd go wrong with either of those versions, but it would be good to hear what others think.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Fri 07 Oct 2016 1:47 am 
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CaoimhínSF wrote:
Tá féinaithne agam is a literal way to say "I have self-knowledge", but in discussing emotions or feelings in Irish, one often uses an idiomatic expression saying that they are "on" you, so perhaps this would sound better (and it's even one letter shorter): Tá féinaithne orm.


I would stick with the "agam" actually. Unless you want to add a few more words: Tá féinaithne agam orm féin.
You can also just use the noun on its own in a nice Irish traditional font - féinaithne.


Maybe there is a more idiomatic way of saying it, although I'm not the best at idioms.
But somebody might have one.

Just another suggestion:

Táim in oiriúint.
- I am ready/in harmony/suitable etc.

See the word in the dictionary here:
http://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/oiri%C3%BAint


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Fri 07 Oct 2016 6:13 pm 
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Joined: Sun 22 May 2016 6:55 pm
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Thank you guys! It's really helpful! Is there a way of saying that you "belong"? And if I were tonuse the gaelic word for "self knowledge" it would simply mean this or I would have to put on the sentence for it to make sense?

Thanks again!:)


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 Post subject: Re: Ogham tattoo
PostPosted: Tue 12 Aug 2025 3:56 pm 
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Thanks for the information.


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