[HPforGrownups] Name meanings: Arabella Figg/ Hagrid

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 44244

In a message dated 20/09/2002 00:39:29 GMT Standard Time, 
hpfgu at plum.cream.org writes:


> I agree entirely. JKR is NOT a Latinist, and some of her Latin 
> constructions aren't quite right (as everyone's chucking out examples, one 
> of the most glaring for me was "expecto" rather than "exspecto"

Eloise:
Now you know, I didn't worry about that one, probably because I'm fairly used 
to Church Latin, where the form without the 's' is used (probably not 
exclusively- I'm sure you'll manage to find counter-examples)
To be sure, I just checked my score of the B Minor Mass : 'Et expecto 
resurrectionem....'

That phrase makes me realise: JKR *does* show some knowledge of Latin 
grammar, because she uses the nominative form 'patronus', yet the incantation 
is, 'expecto patronum' (accusative form). Similarly she distinguishes between 
nouns and verbs (cruciatus/crucio; imperius/imperio).

Richard: 
> <>
> No, JKR isn't a Latinist. She is/was, however, a teacher (and presumably 
> fairly fluent speaker) of French. Even if she had no Latin schooling at all 
> 
> (which isn't the case), she'd connect "bella" with "belle" (Fr. beautiful) 
> well before she connected it with "bellicose". Apart from anything else, 
> even without knowing French, there was (and presumably still is?) a British 
> 
> women's magazine called "Bella". Clue: it's got nothing to with the 
> military. :-)

Eloise:
I agree completely.

Richard:
> <>Now, if "Arabella" didn't exist in the real world, I would agree that JKR 
> could give it absolutely any meaning (and spelling) she wished; the issue 
> is that the name *does* exist, and it has an accepted etymology (or even 
> several, including the IMO less plausible one via "Annabel"). <>

Eloise:
I'm not an etymology geek ;-), but my understanding of the etymology deriving 
the name from Amabel (of which I think Annabel is a later form) is that it is 
based on tracing the occurence of the name through time and its evolution 
over time. I didn't put that very well, but I hope you see what I mean. Big 
changes do occur in names. Look at the use of 'Polly' as a diminutive for 
Mary, for instance.

I think there are three possibilities:
1) JKR has just chosen a name which she likes, or which suits the character 
in some way, or more or less at random.
2) She is using it because of it's 'amabile' = 'beloved' definition.
3) She is using the obvious Latin translation favoured by Richard.

Or maybe a felicitous combination of the three. How about that for a 
compromise? Sirius' beloved girlfiend, who is also (unpolyjuiced) Harry's 
beautiful sanctuary and having the appearance of an old lady also merits an 
old-fashioned name.

BTW, I have to throw this in. I've finally found my Chambers Dictionary 
lurking in the back of a bookcase and it suggests yet another meaning: 
'easily entreated', from the Latin 'orabilis'.

Talking of Chambers, I did mean to throw this thought out the other day.
Chambers is *the* dictionary for crossword puzzle addicts (that is for the 
kind of cryptic crossword puzzle that you find in the British quality 
broadsheet papers). The clues are based on puns, double meanings, plays on 
words, homophones, anagrams, etc.
It strikes me that JKR's mind does work very much along those lines so that 
she may very well have more than one meaning in mind, or that she may well be 
using names in a not strictly etymological way.


Richelle:
> 
> <>>Thank you for noticing, I AM very opinionated.  And I love creating
> >controversy. :)

Richard:

> As am I, except that when I express my opinions, I get accused of 
> transforming people into ferrets and bouncing them around the room. :-)

Eloise:
OK. Public apology to Richard time.
I just thought it was funny.
Like JKR and the twins, my sense of humour gets the better of me sometimes.
Oh - and Richelle, I *like* ferrets!
> <snip>


Richelle:
> 
> Hagrid
> 
> >Now, once again I'll venture I could be stupid again, but I always 
> perceived
> >Hagrid to be a "play" on the word haggard.   Considering Hagrid doesn't
> >look, well, too spiffy.

Richard:

> You might consider me strange, but in this instance I agree with you, 
> except that I go one step further - I've always considered Hagrid to be a 
> combination of haggard and rugged (pronounced as is in some English 
> dialects as "ruggid").

Eloise:
Although the word it is most like is 'hagridden' and he's not that, IMO.
I've always thought it a bit odd.

A felicitous thought.
The other day Milz said that 'hagrid' was a Hardyesque dialect word for 
indigestion.

Crossword clue:
' Big character appears to have ruddy indigestion'
Ans. Rubeus Hagrid. 

I've just looked in the 1902 Wessex dialect glossary provided on-line by The 
Thomas Hardy Association. I can't find that definition, but it does have,
Hag-rod = 'bewitched'.

Eloise





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