May 20, 2016 at 6:41 pm #26020
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

Hello

I’m looking to get my first tatto this summer but I have trouble deciding in what language I want the text to be. I speak four languages fluently (English, French, Japanese, Swedish) and several others on intermediate level. All of these languages mean very much to me, they all represent different parts of me and stages of my life.
The word I want to get tattooed is “fly” (as in to fly) but I really can’t choose in which language I want it to be. Any tips from other multilingual people on how to choose a language? Or combine all of them in a cool way?

May 20, 2016 at 10:15 pm #48192
Teddy Dalton
Participant
@teddy-dalton

where is the tattoo? is it just the script or are there other elements?

May 21, 2016 at 8:37 am #48279
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

It’s going to be on my foot. There will be a small picture of a sketched bird too. It’s not a very big tattoo, at most 6cm across and 4cm high.

May 22, 2016 at 11:24 pm #48613
ArniVidar
Moderator
@arnividar

I don’t see a difference in which language you choose. Perhaps pick the word that looks the best?
Also, some dude got ratted out on an airplane because this lady thought his math was jihadist propaganda, so… perhaps choose a word that people will understand. Just sayin’ 😉

May 23, 2016 at 12:11 pm #48515
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

Yeah, I don’t want people to misunderstand it but at the same time I’m leaning more and more away from having it in English, because of the dubble meaning (you have fly as in the animal too). Maybe I’ll just use my four main languages and have the word written in all of them.

May 23, 2016 at 7:14 pm #48480
ArniVidar
Moderator
@arnividar

@Miyooo 147946 wrote:

Maybe I’ll just use my four main languages and have the word written in all of them.

That would be taking an already bad idea and making it four times worse, IMO.

May 23, 2016 at 7:58 pm #48505
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

@ArniVidar 147947 wrote:

That would be taking an already bad idea and making it four times worse, IMO.

Why do you think it would be a bad idea? I really want to consider everything before I get the tattoo

May 24, 2016 at 11:48 pm #156282
ArniVidar
Moderator
@arnividar

@Miyooo 147946 wrote:

I’m leaning more and more away from having it in English, because of the dubble meaning (you have fly as in the animal too).

It’s going to be next to a picture of a bird, not a housefly. If anyone sees a picture of a bird and the word fly next to it, and thinks about insects, he’s either daft or the picture of the bird is shite.
@Miyooo 147950 wrote:

Why do you think it would be a bad idea? I really want to consider everything before I get the tattoo

Because putting the word fly next to a picture of a bird is a dreadful idea for a tattoo in my opinion. A drawing of a bird flying, sure, but putting the word there… nope.

May 27, 2016 at 5:16 pm #48495
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

I see what you mean, it very cliché. But the bird and the word both mean very much to me for very different reasons so I want to have both of them tattooed. Maybe I won’t but them together in the same tattoo but have them be separate instead.

May 27, 2016 at 11:29 pm #48549
ArniVidar
Moderator
@arnividar

If you must have that word on you, then I would agree that it would be better as a separate tattoo instead of a part of the bird.

But writing fly four times on you is also kinda ridiculous. Mind you, I’m all for ridiculous, so that’s not a bad thing in and of it self 🙂

May 28, 2016 at 5:29 am #48905
Miyooo
Participant
@miyooo

Yeah it might seem a bit ridiculous but I like ridiculous things. And since I’m studying linguistics and languages have always been a big part of my life I think it kind of fits me in a way.

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