Tattoo – How the word evolved!

The word tattoo comes from the word ‘tatow’ or ‘tatau’, a Samoan practice of marking the skin. The word was adopted by the English language, with the pronunciation changed to match English phonology as ‘tattoo’. Expeditionary sailors later introduced the word, as well as the concept of tattooing, to Europe.

People who like tattooing also refer to it as ‘tattoos’, ‘pieces’, ‘ink’ or ‘work’. The people who do the tattoos are known as ‘tattooists’ or ‘artists’. These artists, with the resurgence of the tattoo industry, have had the opportunity to showcase both traditional and innovative tattoo designs. They are even holding these exhibitions in the major art galleries that support them.

There are also copyrighted tattoo designs that are produced in large numbers for tattoo artists. These types of designs are called Flash. These flash sheets are prominently displayed in many tattoo shops to provide inspiration and ready-made tattoo designs for potential clients.

Different countries have different terms for the tattoo. In Japan, the tattoo may be referred to as ‘irezumi’, which means ‘insertion of ink’. This ink insertion can be done using a ‘tebori’, the traditional manual method used by the Japanese, or by using the regular tattoo machine used by Western countries. The most used word for very traditional tattoo designs is ‘horimono’. The Japanese sometimes use the word tattoo to refer to the non-Japanese way of creating a tattoo. In Taiwan, the Atayal tribe use facial tattoos and call them ‘badasun’. The tattoo symbolizes that the grown man can protect his homeland and that the grown woman is eligible to weave cloth and do housework. These are just two of the many countries that also practice the art of tattooing and the different terms they give it.

Although both countries are from the East, the art of marking the body for rituals or decorative purposes was still practiced, just as it was practiced in Western countries. Even if the countries used different techniques or equipment to achieve it, they both had a similar purpose and that is to express faith and beliefs.