In the portuguese language, the verb "decorar" has two meanings: "to decorate" and "to learn by heart." When I first became aware of that fact, strolling across the gardens of the Rodin museum in Paris in the company of my good Brazilian friend - and, for the most part, Portuguese teacher - Flavia, I was quite shocked! How could a verb possibly admit two definitions, which apparently are not related whatsoever? After thinking about it a lot, here's an explanation - maybe a rather poetic than strictly scientific one, i admit... - I would like to submit for your consideration.
When one moves into a new flat or an empty room, bringing in the indispensable, functional pieces of furniture and utensils is of course of prime necessity, as far as settling in is concerned. But in order to really feel "at home," one needs to spend some time decorating the place.
Now, what is "learning by heart?" Well, it's definitely a deeper process than simply "memorizing" (there exists a word for that in Portuguese: "memorizar") since the latter doesn't necessarily involve understanding or feeling the piece of information to be memorized, it simply involves being able to repeat it.
So "to decorate" and to "learn by heart" is in essence the same thing: making a place, an object, a piece of art or an idea one's own, bringing it closer to one's soul and finally being able to dwell in it.
No comments:
Post a Comment