An Indonesian friend of mine told me he thinks that the English word “handkerchief” is hilarious … because the word literally says that it is a kerchief for your hand, and that’s just kind of an odd concept.
I pointed out that the Indonesian word has the same kind of problem. He said, without thinking, “no it doesn’t, it’s just a single word that means handkerchief … saputangan.”
These things are so much easier to see when you are NOT a native speaker. Sapu = broom and tangan = hand. So a “saputangan” is a “hand broom,” which is weirder, I think, than a “hand kerchief.”
My friend was quite amused and conceded the point. He’d never thought of a saputangan as a hand broom, anymore than I had thought of a handkerchief as a kerchief for my hand.
I’d think of it more in line with “cannon fodder.” In other words, a resource you don’t give much thought to, because it’s considered to be expendable.
This a cultural landmine in Canada. Up there, you use a serviette to wipe you mouth and hands, while a napkin is used by women for a uniquely female event.
