[HPforGrownups] Re: Hogwart's Motto, help!

[Jen Faulkner]

No: HPFGUIDX 21286

On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 blpurdom at yahoo.com wrote:

> Actually, former Classics Major speaking here...
> 
> When some of the spells are done, such as "Imperio!" and "Crucio!" 
> the form that these are taking is called the VOCATIVE, which means a 
> command is being given.  The endings you mention are 
> not "traditional," they in fact have very specific meanings.  She is 
> not in fact just "throwing" Latin around.  (She is probably quite 
> well-versed in Latin.)  Also, the spelling of the word you used above 
> is GRAMMAR.  End of Latin rant.

Actually, 'imperio' and 'crucio' are definitely not vocatives (which
never end in -o), as a vocative is a noun form used in direct address,
identical to the nominative in every declension except 2nd
decl. masc. in -us, which has -e in the vocative.  Neither are they
imperatives, the verbal form used for commands.  ('Crucio' is a correct
1st person singular present active indicative; 'imperio' is most likely
'impero', same form as 'crucio', with an -i- inserted.)

I've posted about the spells and their Latinity before, message
12572.  Basically, some are perfectly correct Latin, but many are not
quite Latin in form (using an ending from the wrong declension, or so
on; using an oblique case ending for no reason apparent to me) or have
non-Latin roots.

Personally, it doesn't bother me a bit that the Latin used isn't
'correct'; after all, if wizardry were simply a matter of speaking Latin
properly, they'd be studying Classics, not magic, at Hogwarts.  Probably
like the wand, the words of the incantation are simply a focus for the
witch/wizard's power, and not significant in and of themselves.  

They don't work for me, anyway. :)

--jen :)

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