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 8^th 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.