[HPforGrownups] Re: Another Flint?

[Jen Faulkner]

No: HPFGUIDX 27676

On Mon, 15 Oct 2001 A.E.B.Bevan at open.ac.uk wrote:

> "Lucy Austin" wrote:
> 
> >   I think I have found a Flint! The counter to the Stunning 
> Curse 'Stupefy', is the word 'Enervate' to bring the victim back 
> round ...Wouldn't 'Energate' for 'energise' have been a better 
> counter spell?
> 
> Yes and for soeone with a classics degree (like Jo) its worse than a 
> Flint its a Blushmaker.

The spell, however, is not *enervate*; it eNnervate.  Spelling, in this
case, *counts*.

(I've posted about this spell's etymology before (12637), so I'll be
repeating myself a tad here.)

The spell 'ennervate' must be analyzed as combining a prefix en- with a
root nerv (and a suffix -ate, either a pseudo-Latin 1st
conj. pr. act. imperative 2 pl ending or an English verb-producing
suffix).  Unlike the prefix e-, en- is related etymologically to in-
(from L. in- by way of Old French), and the form thus means 'put
strength back in', the *opposite* of 'enervate', to 'take strength
out'.  JKR has (very cleverly) actually used the sound change outcomes
of a (ps.-)Latin 'innervare' coming into English through Old French to
obtain the correct Anglicized 'ennervate'.  

Not a Flint, nor a joke, but a very clever use of etymology, and
absolutely correct.

--jen :)

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