Hello, I have seen a similar topic multiple times, but not exactly what I'm looking for. So I apologize if I've just missed it. I would like to get "mo chuisle mo chroí" tattooed on my wrists. First question is, would it not make sense if I split the two sections "mo chuisle" and "mo chroi" one for each wrist? Its a sort of memorial tattoo for my pets that have passed and I plan on having a paw print above each one. Second question is can someone post what it looks like in old Irish Gaelic? I cant seem to find the font available anywhere online. Thank you for your help and opinions welcome!

Separating them is fine. They can be used in various ways:

Mo chuisle [My pulse/dear]
Mo chroí [My heart]

Cuisle mo chroí [Pulse of my heart]

If addressed to the person (the "my" part is understood):

A cuisle [O (my) pulse/dear]
A croí [O (my) heart]
A cuisle mo chroí [O pulse of my heart]

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

A chuisle (…), A chroí.

Not sure about the lenition there. Most endearments don't take lenition in the vocative, unlike other words. Maybe Bríd can tell us for sure.

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

A chuisle
A chroí


I don't know about grammar but lenition certainly sounds correct to me. It's what I'd say myself.

Some endearments don't take the vocative (= genitive) form, e.g. a rún, a stór (not *a rúin, *a stóir)
because words like "rún" or "stór" are used metaphorically.

But all of them are lenited as far as possible (of course rún and stór can't)
because the leniting particle "a" is always used, so a chuisle, a chroí

Got it. I knew that at least some endearments didn't change for the vocative, but didn't realize that they were still lenited.

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

It's great that you have a meaningful concept in mind for your tattoo, honoring your beloved pets. Splitting "mo chuisle" and "mo chroí" between your wrists sounds like a lovely idea, especially with paw prints above each section. As for the font in old Irish Gaelic, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the exact one you want. Have you considered reaching out to a professional tattoo artist? They often have access to various fonts and can help create something customized for you. If you're still having trouble, perhaps the Pico laser clinic might have some resources or suggestions to offer. Best of luck with your tattoo, and remember that opinions are subjective, so go with what feels right to you!