Everyone I’ve showed this to kept trying to figure out whether it had something to do with free drugs for sailors. That said, everyone I showed it to was probably on drugs anyway. Daiyne‘s tattoo (by Sean Donovan, Sick Creations, Snohomish WA) has a far more responsible explanation — it means “drug free” in Gaelic.
Comments
166 responses to “DRUG’AIL SAOR”
Daiyne in tradional gaelic irish or scottish its wrong, I’m a fluent irish speaker and my housemate is a fluent scots gaelic speaker and its wrong in both languages. The “ail” at the end is what people who can’t speak irish put at the end of a word to make it sound irish over here, ie dog’ail instead of madra.
Daiyne in tradional gaelic irish or scottish its wrong, I’m a fluent irish speaker and my housemate is a fluent scots gaelic speaker and its wrong in both languages. The “ail” at the end is what people who can’t speak irish put at the end of a word to make it sound irish over here, ie dog’ail instead of madra.
Fine; whatever. The people that I know say that I’m right; the Irish Gaelic-English dictionary says that I’m right. But, go ahead guys. Tell me that my tattoo is wrong. It doesn’t matter. I’m happy with it.
Fine; whatever. The people that I know say that I’m right; the Irish Gaelic-English dictionary says that I’m right. But, go ahead guys. Tell me that my tattoo is wrong. It doesn’t matter. I’m happy with it.
So you are drug free…so what? Most people are, and they don’t have big tattoos announcing it to absolutely everyone.
What’s next, a big tattoo that reads “I avoid fatty foods” or “I have never cheated on a girlfriend?”
Seriously — am I the only one who finds this a little annoying? Good for you, for not doing drugs. But enough with the billboard-sized announcements already. 🙁
So you are drug free…so what? Most people are, and they don’t have big tattoos announcing it to absolutely everyone.
What’s next, a big tattoo that reads “I avoid fatty foods” or “I have never cheated on a girlfriend?”
Seriously — am I the only one who finds this a little annoying? Good for you, for not doing drugs. But enough with the billboard-sized announcements already. 🙁
hmm ok as long as you are happy…but… check this out and put in drugs in english, or for fun put in drugaí in the irish part
http://www.englishirishdictionary.com/dictionary
you trust your friends…but you wont trust native speakers of the language? 0.o
anyway as long as you are happy thats the main thing right
hmm ok as long as you are happy…but… check this out and put in drugs in english, or for fun put in drugaí in the irish part
http://www.englishirishdictionary.com/dictionary
you trust your friends…but you wont trust native speakers of the language? 0.o
anyway as long as you are happy thats the main thing right
Spacelab,
I think you have a personal issue with self-medication. Look inside yourself and pay attention to what’s calling from the beginning of your annoyance with it.
Spacelab,
I think you have a personal issue with self-medication. Look inside yourself and pay attention to what’s calling from the beginning of your annoyance with it.
why can noone seem to be able to write “á”?? 🙂
have to agree with wilburt – emmet, wilburt and myself are all irish and can interpret the language better than your dictionary can.
why can noone seem to be able to write “á”?? 🙂
have to agree with wilburt – emmet, wilburt and myself are all irish and can interpret the language better than your dictionary can.
The friends that I trust are natives of Ireland and it is their native language. Their mother didn’t teach them English. They learned it in school. And, to Spacelab…it’s nice to see someone judging someone else’s free expression. It’s my body. I’ll billboard it the way that I choose to.
The friends that I trust are natives of Ireland and it is their native language. Their mother didn’t teach them English. They learned it in school. And, to Spacelab…it’s nice to see someone judging someone else’s free expression. It’s my body. I’ll billboard it the way that I choose to.
Hmmm…interesting, Wilburt. When I went to that dictionary and put in drug in the english side…it came up with Drug’ail…with the fada, not an accent, as mine was supposed to be. Perhaps before you get all high and mighty next time you’ll try it yourself.
Hmmm…interesting, Wilburt. When I went to that dictionary and put in drug in the english side…it came up with Drug’ail…with the fada, not an accent, as mine was supposed to be. Perhaps before you get all high and mighty next time you’ll try it yourself.
I know it’s probably redundant at this stage, but I am also a native Irish speaker who has been familiar with the language all my life. Drug’ail isn’t even a word, and doesn’t look remotely Irish. The grammar is ridiculously wrong, if you were to translate it to English, it would actually mean something along the lines of ‘Free Drugs’.
Sorry.
I know it’s probably redundant at this stage, but I am also a native Irish speaker who has been familiar with the language all my life. Drug’ail isn’t even a word, and doesn’t look remotely Irish. The grammar is ridiculously wrong, if you were to translate it to English, it would actually mean something along the lines of ‘Free Drugs’.
Sorry.
On typing “drug” into the dictionary that Wilbert supplied I was given this:
DRUG = n druga
DRUG = vt drugáil
The “n” stands for noun and the “vt” presumably for transitive verb. A verb is NOT a noun and from your tattoo it appears that you did not choose the translation for the noun as you think you did or should have. This is the case for English, which is presumably your first language, as well as for Irish. Also a fada like the one over the a here, “á”, is NOT an apostrophe. In any case, Irish is a complicated language and a dictionary is not a good way to translate a phrase from English or any other language into it. You should listen to the people here who speak the language as your “native Irish speaking friends” are, at best, seriously confused about their native tongue. Enjoy your tattoo.
On typing “drug” into the dictionary that Wilbert supplied I was given this:
DRUG = n druga
DRUG = vt drugáil
The “n” stands for noun and the “vt” presumably for transitive verb. A verb is NOT a noun and from your tattoo it appears that you did not choose the translation for the noun as you think you did or should have. This is the case for English, which is presumably your first language, as well as for Irish. Also a fada like the one over the a here, “á”, is NOT an apostrophe. In any case, Irish is a complicated language and a dictionary is not a good way to translate a phrase from English or any other language into it. You should listen to the people here who speak the language as your “native Irish speaking friends” are, at best, seriously confused about their native tongue. Enjoy your tattoo.
SORRY TO TELL YOU BUT WILBURT IS RIGHT THAT IS NOT EVEN IN THE IRISH DICTIONARY ITS GRAND THAT YOU LIKE IT AT ALL BUT IF YOU GET A TATTOO IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE PLEASE CHECK THE GRAMMER!!!!!!!!!
SORRY TO TELL YOU BUT WILBURT IS RIGHT THAT IS NOT EVEN IN THE IRISH DICTIONARY ITS GRAND THAT YOU LIKE IT AT ALL BUT IF YOU GET A TATTOO IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE PLEASE CHECK THE GRAMMER!!!!!!!!!
SAMMY: Check your grammAr as well 😛
SAMMY: Check your grammAr as well 😛
I would feel like an ass if I got a tattoo with spelling/grammar mistakes like this
I would feel like an ass if I got a tattoo with spelling/grammar mistakes like this
Also I just sent this picture to family and friends in Ireland. It is wrong.
Also I just sent this picture to family and friends in Ireland. It is wrong.
Sorry Daiyne, but “drug’ail” isn’t even a word. The correct noun (pl) for drugs is drugaí. I know you say that these are the words you found in the dictionary, but it’s the grammar than makes all the difference. Irish cannot be translated literally, it just doesn’t work. If “drug’ail” actually made any sense, your tattoo would read “free drugs”. It’s a very pretty tattoo though.
Sorry Daiyne, but “drug’ail” isn’t even a word. The correct noun (pl) for drugs is drugaí. I know you say that these are the words you found in the dictionary, but it’s the grammar than makes all the difference. Irish cannot be translated literally, it just doesn’t work. If “drug’ail” actually made any sense, your tattoo would read “free drugs”. It’s a very pretty tattoo though.
Ciara…I don’t think you have any room to talk about grammar.
“It’s the grammar THAN makes all the difference.”
Yeah….
And beside, it all comes down to two things. It’s already on my back, right or wrong, and the sentiment is still there. I did research for two years before I got the tattoo, and no one ever told me it was wrong until after I got it. So, fine. It still means the same thing to me that it always did.
Ciara…I don’t think you have any room to talk about grammar.
“It’s the grammar THAN makes all the difference.”
Yeah….
And beside, it all comes down to two things. It’s already on my back, right or wrong, and the sentiment is still there. I did research for two years before I got the tattoo, and no one ever told me it was wrong until after I got it. So, fine. It still means the same thing to me that it always did.
While obviously grammar is important and if there is a mistake that’s unfortunate, there’s definitely no point in crying over spilled milk if there’s an error. I agree with Daiyne, the tattoo is for her, and what it means to her is what counts.
I have mistakes in a couple tattoos of mine, and I’m not thrilled about them, but the big picture still makes me quite happy and since I can’t change it, I’m not going to regret it.
While obviously grammar is important and if there is a mistake that’s unfortunate, there’s definitely no point in crying over spilled milk if there’s an error. I agree with Daiyne, the tattoo is for her, and what it means to her is what counts.
I have mistakes in a couple tattoos of mine, and I’m not thrilled about them, but the big picture still makes me quite happy and since I can’t change it, I’m not going to regret it.
Daiyne… that was a typo, not grammar :/ That’s just silly. I did say your tattoo was lovely, and obviously it’s only you it has to please. I was actually trying to do you a favour by pointing out for your own record what the actual word is, since everybody else just argued it but didn’t actually give you the correct information. So now you know.
Daiyne… that was a typo, not grammar :/ That’s just silly. I did say your tattoo was lovely, and obviously it’s only you it has to please. I was actually trying to do you a favour by pointing out for your own record what the actual word is, since everybody else just argued it but didn’t actually give you the correct information. So now you know.
Two years of research and still wrong? The script is nice though.
Two years of research and still wrong? The script is nice though.
Daiyne you’re right in that it’s already done, and the idea behind it is the same as when you planned it and got it done, and it is a fine looking tattoo.
It’s just shockingly obvious how wrong it is to someone that speaks Irish.
Drugáil (not drug’ail) = transitive verb = to drug
So accepting that the apostrophy is supposed to be a fada, it would translate as “free to drug”…
But all this is like trying to avoid something that’s already happened.
As I said, you have a very nice tattoo, and so long as you’re happy with it, that’s what counts.
Daiyne you’re right in that it’s already done, and the idea behind it is the same as when you planned it and got it done, and it is a fine looking tattoo.
It’s just shockingly obvious how wrong it is to someone that speaks Irish.
Drugáil (not drug’ail) = transitive verb = to drug
So accepting that the apostrophy is supposed to be a fada, it would translate as “free to drug”…
But all this is like trying to avoid something that’s already happened.
As I said, you have a very nice tattoo, and so long as you’re happy with it, that’s what counts.
lol
lol
Idiocy to get a tatoo in a language you dont understand.You’re stuck with it for the rest of your life and its not like its a small one iether.Maybe you’ll act as a lesson to thers.
Idiocy to get a tatoo in a language you dont understand.You’re stuck with it for the rest of your life and its not like its a small one iether.Maybe you’ll act as a lesson to thers.
The Drugs don’t work they just make it worse .. eh ?
The Drugs don’t work they just make it worse .. eh ?
That’s really funny! Why would you get a tattoo in a language you don’t understand? I’m sure you’ve realised now, even though you won’t admit it, the tattoo is completely wrong! It should read Saor as drugaí
That’s really funny! Why would you get a tattoo in a language you don’t understand? I’m sure you’ve realised now, even though you won’t admit it, the tattoo is completely wrong! It should read Saor as drugaí
Actually, as I’ve mentioned above I do realize that the tattoo is incorrect and it bothers me not at all. Despite what you may believe, I am proud of my tattoo. Everyone has at least one tattoo with a mistake in it. The fact that mine is a whole 7 inches long has no effect on me. I’m still proud of who I am, mistakes and all. I could easily have it covered up, but I won’t. I am the kind of woman to keep the ugly pictures as well as the flattering, and I have no regrets. Including the big mistake on my back. I am completely comfortable with it. And, as far as not understanding the language, I do understand it to a point. I can suffer through a conversation, though not very well. I am only second generation American, though…so when I asked my family for help, I only assumed that they would know the answer. Especially when they gave me the answer. Sure, it was the wrong answer, but that’s fine. I love me, and all that I am.
Actually, as I’ve mentioned above I do realize that the tattoo is incorrect and it bothers me not at all. Despite what you may believe, I am proud of my tattoo. Everyone has at least one tattoo with a mistake in it. The fact that mine is a whole 7 inches long has no effect on me. I’m still proud of who I am, mistakes and all. I could easily have it covered up, but I won’t. I am the kind of woman to keep the ugly pictures as well as the flattering, and I have no regrets. Including the big mistake on my back. I am completely comfortable with it. And, as far as not understanding the language, I do understand it to a point. I can suffer through a conversation, though not very well. I am only second generation American, though…so when I asked my family for help, I only assumed that they would know the answer. Especially when they gave me the answer. Sure, it was the wrong answer, but that’s fine. I love me, and all that I am.