Dating Information

Sweet flowers alone can say what passion fears revealing
Thomas Hood poem, The Language of Flowers

Flowers and bouquets of flowers have a meaning of their own. Most of us know that a dozen red roses means, "Be mine." But did you know, for example, that a primrose means, "I can't live without you," or that a purple hyacinth means, "Please forgive me," or that a pink carnation means, "I'll never forget you," or that a gladiolus means, "Give me a break?"

Flower meanings have been used to convey ideas, feelings and messages for centuries. The word, floriography, has been coined for the assignment of meaning to flowers. There is a meaning to colors of flowers, to numbers of flowers, and to groups of flowers. It is a silent language that has been largely lost to us through lack of use.

In addition to the obvious choices of color and variety, the language of flowers also includes the way flowers are worn or presented. Presenting flowers upright conveys a positive meaning, but if they are presented upside down the meaning is the opposite. If a ribbon is included with the flowers and is tied to the left then the meaning of the flowers refers to the giver, but if the ribbon is tied to the right then the meaning refers to the recipient. Also, flowers can be used to answer questions. When they are presented with the right hand the answer is "yes," but when presented with the left hand the answer is "no."

History

The Turks in the 17th century seemed to develop flower meanings. In 1718 the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter expounding on the "Secret Language of Flowers" that she had discovered during her visits to Turkey. Europe quickly picked up on the concept.

In 1819 Louise Cortambert, under the pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and published what seems to have been the first dictionary of the flower language entitled, Le Language des Fleurs. It was a small book, but it became a popular reference on the subject.

During the Victorian era, the reign of Queen Victoria from

Have you been looking for romantic and provocative ways to say "I Love You" to your special partner? There are numerous different and creative ways to say "I Love You," but have you ever thought about memorizing "I Love You" in as many foreign languages as possible?

Imagine someone whispering to you "Je t'aime" or "Te amo" or "Aloha wau ia 'oe." You'd be intrigued, interested, and pleased, wouldn't you? Well, try several foreign language translations of "I Love You" with a special person in your life and see what happens.

Afrikaans - Ek is lief vir jou

American - Have a beer

Australian - 'ave another

Arabic - Ana Ahebak / Ana Bahibak

Cantonese - Ngo Oi Nei

Chinese - Gnoy oy na

Danish - Jeg eisker dig

Dutch - Ik hou van jou

English - I love you

Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua

French - Je t'aime / Je t'adore

German - Ich liebe Dich

Greek - S'agape

Hawaiian - Aloha wau ia 'oe

Hebrew - Ani ohevet ota

Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu

Italian - Ti amo

Japanese - Anata wa, dai suki desu

Korean - Sa Lang Hae / Na No Sa Lan Hei

Mandarin - Wo Ai Ni

Norwegian - Jeg eisker deg

Persian - Tora Doost Darem

Romanian - Te iubesc

Russian - Ya tebya liubliu

Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo / Yo amor tu

Swahili - Naku panda

Swedish - Jag alskar dig

Swiss German - Ch-ha di garn

Tagolog - Mahal kita / Inilbig kita

Turkish - Seni seviyorum

Vietnamese - Toi yeu em

Do some of the translations above look interesting? Pick out your favorites, then find a good pronouncing dictionary in order to get the sound of the phrase as accurate as possible.

After all, you don't want "Je t'adore" to sound like "Shut the door." That would have an entirely different meaning.

*****************************

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of http://www.Anchorage-Homes.com and http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.