"Incalculable power"

[bboyminn]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "zanooda2" <zanooda2 at ...> wrote:
>
> Here is one more question, what does "incalculable power" mean in a sentence: "Dumbledore had at least taught Harry something about certain kinds of magic, of incalculable power of certain acts". It's when Harry tries to convince Ron that he is supposed to use the sword, p.373-374 or p.304 ("The Silver Doe"). 
> 
> Does the word "incalculable" mean here "uncertain, unpredictable", or does it mean something like "immense"? The dictionaries give these two meanings, but they both seem to fit. Or do I misunderstand something :-)? What do you guys think? Thanks,
> 
> zanooda
>

bboyminn:

One again, I don't think people speak in absolutes. In one respect 'incalculable power' mean a power of such awesome magnitude that it can't be determined.

But in this sense I think it means more undeterminable power, which to some extent implies a power with a /nature/ that can't be determined. That is, it impies the nature can't be comprehended, not the magnitude of the power that can't be comprehended.

Think of it as incomprehensible power. 

So, in this context it is that it can't be comprehended, not so much that it can't be calculated. It's about understanding the nature rather than measuring the size. 

But then, that's just one man's opinion. And again, we seek the context of the statement, not the literal translation.

Steve/bboyminn