Salazar name meaning

[elirtai]

No: HPFGUIDX 36995

"catlady_de_los_angeles" <catlady at w...> wrote:

> Edis wrote:
> > Showing my age maybe but I thought 'Salazar' was a reference to
> > Antonio Salazar, Fascist dictator of Portugal 
> 
> I agree with Edis, but wonder if the name 'Salazar' has any 
> interesting meaning or derivation in Portuguese?

This starts getting somewhat off topic. Anyway, here it goes...

I also agree that JKR based the name on Antonio Salazar, after her
own close knowledge of Portuguese history. That's a name in two 
levels: based on a dictator, and also an alliteration of "Slytherin". 
I doubt there was more to her choice than that.

About the name meaning, well, it also exists in Spanish where
it's supposed to have a Basque origin. The Portuguese name could
well have the same roots (Portuguese and Spanish history was shared
for a long time). The oldest dated Salazars died in 1344, but the
name already existed as a place name. Its meaning in old Basque would 
be something like 'the old hall'.

An interesting side note: there was an inquisitor three centuries 
later, name of Salazar, who ordered several witch burnings. Wonder if 
JKR knew that.

Elirtai (who has just looked up all of this and had no idea before)

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