Silly Jay Bee, you don't have to sail down a river to reach the ocean of eternity and friendship, it's already here, in your heart. So whenever you think of starting a thread like this again, just listen to the wind of understanding that blows through your heart's ventricles of compassion, they whisper "Live, Laugh, Love".

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

Hi, can you help me?

My grandfather was from Ireland, and I want to get a tattoo to remind me of him. There's this phrase he used to say all the time so I thought it would be more personal and meaningful to permanently scar myself with a version translated by a stranger into a language my grandfather didn't actually speak, that I don't understand in the slightest and that I have no intention of ever trying to learn (I'm "no good at" languages, you see); rather than using the actual words he actually said to me.

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A language belongs to its native speakers, and when you speak it, you are a guest in their homes.
If you are not a good guest, you have no right to complain about receiving poor hospitality.

lol!

Nail + head

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

It's nice to see that you can make a joke and stereotype out of something that may be very personal to someone else. You have no idea what someone has gone through in their lives. So what if they want to ("scar" as you put it) something onto their body? If it helps them preserve a memory, help them in their faith, or whatever, who are you to judge them? Why don't you just click on another thread about 'The Golden Age of Christianity in Britain & Ireland and Orthodoxy Today' or Franco-Irish Translation Relationships in Nineteenth-Century Ireland' or even Political Economy and Colonial Ireland'? Or if you'd rather, 'Sarmatian legionary theory' or 'Celtic substrate hypothesis'. I could care less about those topics, but I still respect your right to be interested in them. You don't see me posting negative comments on those threads. Maybe most of the people here find those 'wacko'. If you don't like people coming here looking for tattoo translations, that's fine. Move on to the next thread.

Looking for a tattoo translation is what brought me to the old site many years ago. From that translation I received, I became interested in the language, and have continually followed and learned what little Irish I have from that site, and now to this one. One thing that hasn't been duplicated, however, is the friendly banter and actual 'relationships' that were made over there. It was actually fun to log on and read the good natured ribbing and joking that went on. Here, it's just about pointing out peoples mistakes, my dialect is better than yours, I'm right and you're wrong. Too many know-it-alls that aren't able to take suggestions or accept constructive criticism. Who cares why people want 'this or that' translated? If it brings someone closer to the language, and may get them interested in it, isn't that better than driving people away? (I know that isn't good enough for you purists).

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I am only a beginner. Please get confirmation before using any of my suggestions.

Well said, pennyrat. (Even though I know I am one of the worst offenders. )

Guys, the idea here is to encourage the use of Irish in any and all corners of life. As pennyrat says, if you don't agree with someone else's point of view but you have nothing positive to contribute to the thread (or the forum in general), please think twice about posting.

We try to help those who "disapprove" of tattoos by marking the threads clearly, specifically so they can know to stay out.

Tattoo translations are welcome here. We'd rather people had something correct tattooed on them than a mess they really would regret.

Please also refrain from posting threads just to bitch about something you personally don't like or to push a political agenda. There are other forums around if you want to try to incite flame wars. We could start a whole new thread called "Why all these wacko thread topics?"

Also, parochial disparagement of people from other parts of Ireland or other countries can only be passed off as a joke for so long. It is a form of ignorance akin to "racism" and the "joke" might not be so obvious to others, especially if they are from the place in question.

And finally, please refrain from posting in psychedelic colours, it makes my head hurt.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Actually in case anybody is reading who might be hurt, I just find the English phrases used a bit funny in a lighthearted way, regardless of whether they're tattoos or anything else. Please don't be put out by my silly sense of humour!

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

Not put out at all Lon Dubh.

I thought we were having a nice joke in this thread.
There was nothing offensive. Lighten up people.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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I know the socio-linguistic and historical stuff is not central to the language; I only add it because it is connected so seems relevant to me

I know I was been bitchy when I started the thread, but look at the member post count. Most of them will never come back again. I even recall being told not to be harsh because the future of the language might depend on them
On the other hand, it is good practice for translation, I won't deny that. I will say however, that it is not people interested in minute that are not accepting to the wide range of topics on here, but perhaps the opposite. It's funny how a topic on a translation will get hundreds of views within 2 or 3 days, yet it could take a 'serious' thread weeks to rack that up. That's why IGTF was sold. There's a lot of eyeball traffic to the 'Wings of Love' threads and that's simply because most of the viewers are American and don't know Ireland well enough to identify with the details. The real Irish of An Ghaeltacht is as foreign to them as Martian speech, so they want something bent to their cultural needs, part of which is to assume that all Celtic languages are all airy fairy and 'mystical'. I mean, outside of America, and only in parts even there, would anyone ever use such New Age phrasing ?

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___

Are you kidding, there are three countrys im very familiar with, Ireland, England and Hungary. New age phrasing and mystical perceptions of old civilizations is very common in all three.
In Ireland East clare, West Cork and Parts of Kerry are Hot beds for this sort of thing and you'll find it in many other places.
Go to any craft fair and you'll find lots of that sort of thing.

Youll often see people sporting Chinese Tattoos or Maori/Polynesian "tribal" tattoos. People with new grange swirl Tattoos.
Mystical Egyptian Tattoos.etc, etc.

On Tattoos I think personally look strange on people.
In England and increasingly Ireland you see people with Prison tattoos , when you know they have never been near one.
Or Hip hop fans with American Gang tattoos.

Or your own name Tattooed on your neck. not a fan of that. But to each their own I suppose. I know a lot of people dont like me learning a dead language, matter of opinion I suppose.

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Bíonn rudaí maithe mall

Actually, now that you mention it...

I suppose asking for tattoo translations has a stimulus effect on forums like these which helps with the overall 'ecosystem' and what you might call knowledge diversity (surely an Americanism, or 'izm')

The more the merrier then!

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__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.___