translation for tattoo

sackemjack · **Joined:** Tue 10 May 2016 3:51 am **Posts:** 4

Hi.could someone please tell me the correct translation for my soulmate. I have seen it written as mo anam cara but have been told this may not be correct. it is for a tattoo so it is important not to have something incorrect. regards ken

Redwolf · **Posted:** Tue 10 May 2016 2:56 pm

sackemjack wrote:

Hi.could someone please tell me the correct translation for my soulmate. I have seen it written as mo anam cara but have been told this may not be correct. it is for a tattoo so it is important not to have something incorrect. regards ken

No matter where you stand on the whole "anamchara" thing, "mo anam cara" is incorrect on so many levels I'm not sure where to start.

There is a compound word, "anamchara," which means "spiritual advisor/confessor," and while there's some movement toward it meaning "soulmate," I personally wouldn't advocate for it unless your usual greeting to your "soulmate" is "bless me father, for I have sinned." (mhwombat once wrote a really good breakdown of the whole "soulmate" thing, but I can't find it anymore).

A lot depends on what you mean by "soulmate." Americans tend to use it to mean one's "fated lover," i.e., the person one is bound to fall in love with. Some other countries look on it differently. If you can tell us what you mean by it, we can come up with a good translation for it.

Redwolf

CaoimhínSF · **Joined:** Sun 04 Sep 2011 11:02 pm **Posts:** 1581

The link below is to a thread which may be the one which Red was remembering, and discusses (with some arguments within the thread) various possibilities for terms to use:
http://www.irishlanguageforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2164&p=19476&hilit=anamchara#p19476

Redwolf · **Posted:** Wed 11 May 2016 1:32 am

CaoimhínSF wrote:

The link below is to a thread which may be the one which Red was remembering, and discusses (with some arguments within the thread) various possibilities for terms to use:
http://www.irishlanguageforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2164&p=19476&hilit=anamchara#p19476

This bit is what I was thinking of. I remember she came up with it after many long, hot debates over this phrase:

Quote:

Irish people tend to use the word "soulmate" to mean two people who seem fated to be friends, e.g., they share an unusual hobby or something like that.

Americans tend to use the word to mean two people who seem fated to be lovers. This comes from Plato's Symposium. Humans originally consisted of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spend their lives searching for the other half to complete them.

If you want an Irish word for soulmate, you have several options, depending on what you want it to mean:

* If you mean someone you turn to for spiritual guidance, the best word for that is probably anamchara (literally, "soul friend")
* If you mean a kindred spirit (possibly but not necessarily a lover), the best word for that is probably buanchara (permanent/lifelong friend), duine na n-árann (friend of my heart), or anamchara (literally, "soul friend")
* If you mean a lover (perhaps your perfect match, possibly someone you were "fated" to be with), there are a few words to choose from: fíorghrá (true love), síorghrá (eternal love), céadsearc (first love, but "first" here means "primary", not necessarily your first infatuation), sonuachar (spouse, partner), caoimh-leannán (sweet-heart), or duine na n-árann (friend of my heart) . You might also use anamchara (literally, "soul friend"); this usage is perhaps controversial but seems to be gaining ground.

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