Alohomora

[rcraigharman at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 23270

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Jen Faulkner <jfaulkne at e...> wrote:
> But on the level of form, I really don't see how one could derive
> 'aloha' from 'aloô'.  The vowels aren't the same.  (The first o in
> 'aloô' is short, the second long.)  'Alaho' I could see as being
> related, but not 'aloha'.

But it isn't "alohA", it's "alohOmora".  Notice the vowels:

al-O-h-O

Two o's.

Not alohA.


So, nitpicks about it not being like "aloha" do not apply.

Moreover, just because the Greek doesn't have the aspiration, doesn't
mean that JKR didn't add the h to make it obvious that the vowels
are distinct.  Otherwise, the result would have been:

Aloomora.

which every reader is going to pronounce with a long "u" sound,
instead of two distinct o's.


As for the meaning of the verb "aloo", no, it isn't the most common
verb meaning to "leave", but if she liked the sound of it, why not?

....Craig