What's in a Name

Why Hazelschool?

School? That's easy, what with the blog being about schools and learning, teachers and children.

Hazel? Translate into Portuguese, you'll get 'aluno/aluna'. Now change dictionaries: pick the Romanian - English if you please. Check 'aluna'. Two exciting things will immediately happen (well, depends how much of a language nerd you are): one - you will find that there is a Romanian word 'aluna'. Two - you will find that its English translation is 'hazelnut'. Hence Hazelschool.

Why the roundabout title? Won't help with the blog traffic but I couldn't resist it. An article I wrote last year might explain. It was called 'Herds of Hazelnuts', here it is:

'I teach English in a Portuguese Primary School. Two words are used here with great frequency: 'pupils' - both raw material and product of all schools, packaged of course in 'classes'.

Here’s what makes things interesting: I am Romanian. You know the Portuguese words for ‘class’ and ‘pupil’? Well, the Romanian language has also got them. Same spelling, same pronunciation, completely different meanings. I believe the name for this linguistic occurrence is ‘homonym’. As follows:

Turma –

English translation of the Portuguese word: Classroom
English translation of the Romanian word : Herd

Aluna –

English translation of the Portuguese word: Pupil
English translation of the Romanian word: Hazelnut

In a usual, daily conversation, this is what I hear:

“What herds have you got today?”
“Oh, H2 and H4.” (H for Herd?…)
“Poor you. Those are big herds, and difficult.”
“Yes. Very noisy hazelnuts.”

Or:

“Can I have this worksheet photocopied for Herd H3?”
“How many hazelnuts?”
“17.”
“Not 18? Who’s absent?”
“X. She’s got the flu.”
“Oh. Poor hazelnut.”
“Yes I know.”
“She’s a good hazelnut. I’m sure she’ll catch up.”

Or:

“What have we got here?”
“A hazelnut with a sore knee.”
“How come?”
“She was pushed by another hazelnut.”
“From her herd?”
“No. Another herd”.
“Why?”
“He said this hazelnut took his chocolate bar.”
“Hazelnuts eat a lot of chocolate don’t they?”
“Yep. The parents of some hazelnuts send them to school with three bars of chocolate every day.”

Etc.

Every time a conversation such as this comes to an end, a peculiar philosophic question presents itself. What am I? A part-time shepherd? An occasional gatherer? A Nut Cultivator? Tree hugger or toreador?

My job as one – or more, or all – of the above comes to an end in June. Before that, I shall try to write a little more about it. A ‘Herds of Hazelnuts’ series (two code-words to remember). Why? Because I noticed how fascinating this society of hazelnuts is, how it actually makes my job quite interesting (taking the herds to the watering hole? transferring some taste into those hazelnuts?), despite all the grief and headaches I carry home with me.

Allergy and addiction in one – exactly as expected from bullfights and nut products.'