Father/Protector

[arcum42]

No: HPFGUIDX 40258

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Lilac <lilac_bearry at y...> wrote:
> 
> Since we are on the topic of name meanings (at least a few posts
ago with the flower names)...
> 
> The first time I read POA, the word "patronus" immediately reminded
me of "pater", and because of mater=mother, as in Alma Mater, I
naturally I concluded that pater is father...make sense?
> 
<snip>
> 
> p#259;tr#299;tus , a, um, adj. [pater, like avitus from avus] , of
one's father or forefathers 
>
> Here's the link:
> 
> http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=P
erseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2334152
>
> So, IMHO, Harry's protector was indeed "of his father" in the shape
of Prongs.  His father was protecting him again  (which is such a
touching sentiment that I need a tissue...really, I'm not kidding!). 

Along a similar line, I thought I'd point out that while patronus
means patron or protector, another closely related latin word is
paternus : of a father, paternal, native. 

http://www.sunsite.ubc.ca/LatinDictionary/HyperText/p.html

Also, my dictionary (one of these nifty ones with word
derivations)drives the word "patron" from the latin patronus (legal
protector, advocate), then further to Medieval Latin as "lord;
master" and being derived directly from pater (which is indeed
father).

--Arcum