Tongue Twisters

May 8, 2006 - 9:17 AM by Israelity

Like English, Hebrew has its fair share of tongue twisters. Probably the best known goes like this: Sarah shara shir samayach (Sarah sings a happy song). I haven’t yet heard if there are also Israeli Spoonerisms but I imagine there are. But sometimes, we make up our own plays on words, puns, and Spoonerisms (though the latter might not always be done on purpose).

This morning my 8 year old was telling me about a project she has coming due in school. She told me she needs to bring in a plant that is “b’rashoot ha adam”. I was a bit puzzled as to what it meant for a plant to be under the authority of man. “Do you mean a cultivated plant, as opposed to something that grows wild?” I asked her. No, that wasn’t it.

Then it dawned on me. She had meant to say “b’sheroot ha adam” (at the service of man). Okay, that’s easy! We talked about aloe and other plants that can be used as medicine. We discussed cotton, and the use of plants for dyes. She pointed out that plants produce the oxygen we breathe, and that without plants to eat, many of the animals we eat would die. She even suggested that flowers and plants add color and beauty to our lives which, while not necessary for survival, certainly add something important to our lives.

It was a one of those fabulous moments in a parent’s life, the kind of opportunity that comes up in those moments when we’re doing something routine, like brushing hair or driving to school. I’m just glad my Hebrew was up to decyphering her Spoonerism.

Postcards from Israel

Share with others