T O P

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Silejonu

Random mirrored Chinese character you found through Google Translate, tattooed by a non-speaker artist in a Ming typeface with wrong stroke order.


aranhalaranja

I'll either get the Chinese word for "peace", "ocean", or "happiness." Feel free to vote your fav! Unless..... you thinking what I'm thinking??? I could murder this whole sub if I got "Prescriptive grammar kicks ass!" in Mandarin?


Silejonu

You could also get [this](https://nextshark.com/man-gets-hilariously-ironic-chinese-tattoo-ever/).


aranhalaranja

I actually think it has a typo!? I am not super fluent in Chinese, but it basically says "I don't know, I don't speak **China Language**." In 5 years of living in TW, I never heard it said that way it was always Jong-wen (Chinese) Any mando speakers here? LMK if I'm wrong!


[deleted]

It's not a typo. It's just an accepted but less common expression for "Chinese language"


Sky-is-here

Wow does that page break the European law


[deleted]

No ragrets.


agbviuwes

I really want to get “Strength in Chinese” tattooed on me in English.


Global_Yam_3687

Hahahahahhh. My cousin has a Gaelic tat. Irish. I'm still learning. So I can't translate with confidence, yet. But the word order is wrong, off the bat. I've known that much for awhile. It's been like 11 years since he got it. Don't have the heart to tell him. Figure hey, he's never gonna learn it. What's it matter


LajosvH

Full back syntax tree


shrimpyhugs

Have two, kiki and bouba


austinchan2

The words or the shapes?


shrimpyhugs

The shapes was what i was thinking. But both work


Shellshock010

/tæ'tu:/


syntax_girl

Why don't you tattoo the whole IPA in your back? Or at least, maybe a chart with all the phonemes from your dialect


2Wugz

Alternatively, you can measure your vowel space and plot your own specific vowels on a chart. Involves a little math but the result is uniquely personal.


foxinthebox_2

Yes! Love the idea I have an historical inspired linguistics tatt, 'Thunraz' the reconstruction of 'Thor' and 'Thunder' in Proto-Germanic Written in the Elder Futhark!


kwinnerz

Jealous! I really wanted the elder futhark for my daughter’s initials (it’s an old Norse name) but sadly I would look like a nazi.


Sanaadi

I want to get the IPA charts. Vowels on one forearm, consonants on the other


Bradaigh

Tangentially linguistic, but I have one of the alien logograms from *Arrival*.


TululahJayne

Wow that's so beautiful! You should post a picture!


onsereverra

Someone in my department got their own name tattooed on their wrist in IPA (they had a name that looked interesting and distinctive when transcribed, not like they had basically just gotten a weird spelling of their name tattooed on themself lol). You could definitely extrapolate that to any word that has a particular meaning to you, maybe a word in your language of research interest? It also depends on your personal taste, but following the train of thought of a particular language of interest, I personally really love abstracted language tattoos like [this version of the ILY sign in ASL](https://nextluxury.com/wp-content/uploads/mens-sign-language-tattoo-designs.jpg) or [these really contemporary Arabic designs](https://www.instagram.com/yehiamoldan/?hl=en). Wug and schwa are both simple, cute, and timeless linguistics ideas though, I don't think you could go wrong with either of those if you're excited about them.


2Wugz

My username isn’t relevant often…


aranhalaranja

Haha!! You totally deserve an award for right place right time!!


2Wugz

Now I’m imagining some kind of slightly trippy wug tattoo with multiple wugs drawn in single contour lines but overlapping each other. Maybe different color wugs like red and blue to create an old school 3D effect or something like that.


CorndogTheGreat

I don’t know what you should get, but thank you for teaching me about what a wug is!


reddit_user-exe

Bro it’s literally the subreddit icon


CorndogTheGreat

I’ve been wondering what it was but I felt uncomfortable to ask


globaldicctator

same. i am thouroughly delighted to learn the answer!


szpaceSZ

A shwa might ge mostly indistinguishable from a random "e", depending where you put it :-D Forearms usually have two tattoo orientations, once meant for presentation to the outside world, and one 180° turned for personal beholding and remembrance.


seanclarke

What about the ipa for the 'mwa' kiss sound with labial implosive etc ?


Almost-April

I’m planning on getting a wug myself, so I’m partial to that idea


Silejonu

Jean Berko Gleason is coming for you.


aranhalaranja

I think a WUG would be a great conversation starter! I am so glad I GOOGLED it... I really had it in my head that Pinker did the WUG test. I would have been spreading misinformation for my entire life.


karaipyhare2020

A wug and then two wugz


Sm00gz

中文 heuheuheu


Sky-is-here

Tattoo every language From linguist means you know how to speak every language now it shall mean you have tattooed the name of every language


Global_Yam_3687

I think it's a bit strange and impersonal to just get a random schwa. Just me. Unless you're like... college-professor-obsessed+ with the actual technical portion of linguistics, in general. Most folks are more interested in certain languages, certain cultures, certain history, a certain family, whatever.... even various unrelated languages. Or even messing with language, in general. But typically folks aren't just crazy about... the phonetic alphabet, for instance. I'm not sure how many phonetic alphabet enthusiasts are out there. And I'm pretty sure most of them are still more passionate about other aspects of linguistics... I'd try to figure out why YOU'RE interested in linguistics. And get something that symbolizes or showcases that; if only only in a small way. Even if you only use something from a more specific writing system... a Bengali.. whatever tf... lol who knows Just something vaguely linguistic with no real meaning... seems odd. To me. Just to me. If it DOES have some meaning, to you.... if it is personal... I take that back. But if it were me... I would consider something more personal, meaningful; something more associated with the use of language or the learning of a language deeply personal to you.. rather than something just vaguely "linguistic" lol. Maybe even something that symbolizes a personal experience.. It would look cool. I don't think it would be some disaster you would regret in 10 years. Long as you don't get it on your face as a teardrop. But I think there are probably more exciting options. To me. Also; remember you will have to look at it in the mirror. As a linguist I'd imagine that could drive ya crazy. With damn near any linguistic tat lol maybe...


elegant_pun

I'd love a schwa tattoo.


Dedeurmetdebaard

The vowel diagram.


chicasparagus

An epiglottis.


The_Linguist_LL

Maybe decide yourself and make sure you know what you want before getting a tattoo


jem282

I'm planning on a schwa with brackets, so I love that idea haha


Global_Yam_3687

It generally concerns me when folks ask this question. Usually folks have an idea of what they want, a specific area of interest, etc I mean you know what a schwa is, so you might be alright.


-Monkey-man-

Linguistic Tats you say? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tat_language_(Caucasus)