[HPforGrownups] The significance of first names in HP books.

[Cezar Tabarcea]

No: HPFGUIDX 27838

Hi all, i want to share with you some thoughts about the names of the main 
characters in the four books. If some things (or all) have already been 
spotted, i'm sorry (i have joined the group only recently). Also, i hope i have 
the names right, since i have read GoF only in a French translation, and some 
of the names were adapted.
I teach Latin and Old Greek at the University, and i noticed that JKR uses many 
Latin adjectives as first names, such as - Albus (white - of course) 
Dumbledore, but also Rubeus Hagrid (rubeus meens red, and, in PoA JKR expressly 
states that Hagrid's complexion was usually very flushed  - also, in French, 
maybe in English too, there's the word "rubicond" which means something like 
fat and round, but also can signify - good-natured, funny, mild). McGonagall's 
name is Minerva (the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena, the goddess 
of Wisdom and Tactics, but also a well-known virgin). Severus (Snape) is, of 
course, the Severe.
But there are three cases particularly interesting - Lupin (from the latin word 
for wolf) is named Remus - and maybe JKR thought about the two twins, Romulus 
and Remus, the founders of Rome, who were raised by a she-wolf, according to 
the legend - (maybe they were werewolves too...). Sirius Black - the name may 
come from the star named Sirius, known in Old Rome as The Dog-Star (the one 
that announces mid-summer and draught - canicula). Now Moody is my favourite, 
for his first name (i hope it's the same in the English version) is Alastor, 
which means "un-forgetting", also "un-forgiving" (in Old Greek), and was the 
name of a demon, The Avenger - quite a name for an Auror. Do u think these 
approaches are likely, can JKR have really thought about them - I know she 
studied French litterature, maybe also some classics?
And i have two questions - first, what was, in the English original, the name 
of the Sports expert from the MoM (in GoF ) - it's Ludo Verpey, in the French 
edition; and also, if anyone from Paris reads this, i wonder if the English 
editions of HP can be bought in Paris, somewhere. Is there an English bookstore 
that may have these books for sale?
Cezar
btw - Victor (Krum) is the Winner (in Latin), and i think i have already heard 
the name Karkarov somewhere, i will try to remember where.

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