Pustolovina: adventure in Serbian

Thursday, May 18, 2006

bloody dishes

Whenever I learn a language, there tends to be a few words that immediately implant in my memory. And these are always words in the I-know-I-will-never-use-that category. Before my family’s trip to Ecuador when I was in 8th grade, we listened to Spanish tapes in the car. Quitasol, the word the voice on the tape used for sun umbrella, immediately lodged in my head. After our arrival, I discovered that not only is it a rather useless word, Ecuadorians use a different word for sun umbrella.

From my brief study of Arabic, and even briefer study of Somali, I have retained the words for different types of arabic calligraphy and spear, respectively. I can no longer count to ten in either language.

The Serbian words for blood vessels, krvni sudovi, which I learned last week, will probably always have a permanent place in my brain. I first learned the word sudovi months ago. It can mean dishes. Krvni is the adjective form of blood. Technically, it’s not ‘bloody’ – that’s krvav – but I didn’t know that when I learned my new phrase. Accompanied by the image of bloody dishes, krvni sudovi lodged in my brain.

I can’t think of a situation – or maybe I just don’t want to think of a situation – in which the word for blood vessels will ever come in handy.

4 Comments:

  • At 6:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well, think of "spava kao zaklan". Hm, not a pretty sight, but ...

     
  • At 8:23 PM, Blogger Bg anon said…

    And look at it like this (if you havent) why do you think they are called sudovi?

    Kind of remember drawings of blood cells from school. Didnt they look like dishes?

    :)

     
  • At 11:34 AM, Blogger Belgrade Daily Photo said…

    Now that I think of it, in English there are blood "platelets".

    Oh the joys of learning a foreign language. Seriously!

     
  • At 12:26 PM, Blogger rachel said…

    good points, all.

    And in my dictionary 'sud' is also defined as vessel, which could be used either for food or blood.

    I just wish words that I use on a regular basis were the easy ones to remember.

     

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