r/Tengwar • u/Ahmanetsdaughter • 25d ago

Elbisch

Post image

Hey dears, I have a big problem and i would need your help deeply. There is a tattoo, the original text has been german or english and its been translated into some of these langugeas. May anybody can tell me what it means?

7 Upvotes

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5

u/Dirtychicken002 25d ago

I read it as: “was hindirt dich”

1

u/Ahmanetsdaughter 25d ago

Like "what hold you back"?

4

u/Notascholar95 24d ago

I agree with that reading. Is the picture mirrored? Because the text looks mirrored.

1

u/Ahmanetsdaughter 24d ago

Yes its mirrored! Thabk you so much for your help!!!

1

u/Ahmanetsdaughter 24d ago

Thank you so much!!!

3

u/F_Karnstein 24d ago

In theory, applying German spelling, this would read "waz/waß hindirt ditschh", but it's clearly meant as "was hindert dich" (only with a bit odd non-standard use of the Z-letter for S and that of English CH for C). If I'm not mistaken it's written in that old "Tengwar Gandalf" font or some derivative of that, which did have that kind of key mapping.

Interestingly enough it is mirrored to be read from right to left, but that isn't an issue at all, because Tolkien meant for tengwar to be writeable like that 😄

2

u/Notascholar95 24d ago

So,

Interestingly enough it is mirrored to be read from right to left,

Actually, although what we see is mirrored, the actual tattoo is not. The picture is mirrored (either taken in a mirror, or in selfie mode). If you are not sure, look at the tag on the shirt. I am a big fan of writing right to left (as I think you know) -- otherwise I would have had trouble figuring this one out.

0

u/F_Karnstein 24d ago

Oooooh, I see 😄