A spell question.

[ghinghapuss]

No: HPFGUIDX 86496

> Iggy here:
> I was just doing some research for a project I'm working on, and 
found this definition an a "Latin to English Translator":
> reduco: to lead back, bring back, return.
> This leads me to wonder how the "Reducto" spell in OotP would cause
> tables and such to pretty much implode on themselves.


Mandy here:
Perhaps the word Reduco is related to Reductio? 
Any linguists out there? 

The Late Latin root word of Reductio has become our word Reduction or 
Reduce.  That, logically, has to do with the reducing of something, 
all the way down to nothingness, which imo would cause something to 
implode, or at least disappear.  Also, if you think more 
philosophically, to return could mean to return to our original 
state, which was nothingness. That in turn could cause the implosion 
of an object. 

The following definition is from Merriam Webster's. (I prefer Oxford 
but Merriam is free online.) It's very long but look at definition 
number 8: to diminish in strength or density seems to fit.
 
Main Entry: re·duce 
Pronunciation: ri-'düs, -'dyüs
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): re·duced; re·duc·ing
Etymology: Middle English, to lead back, from Latin reducere, from re-
 + ducere to lead -- more at TOW
Date: 14th century
transitive senses
1 a : to draw together or cause to converge : CONSOLIDATE <reduce all 
the questions to one> b (1) : to diminish in size, amount, extent, or 
number <reduce taxes> <reduce the likelihood of war> (2) : to 
decrease the volume and concentrate the flavor of by boiling <add the 
wine and reduce the sauce for two minutes> c : to narrow down : 
RESTRICT <the Indians were reduced to small reservations> d : to make 
shorter : ABRIDGE
2 archaic : to restore to righteousness : SAVE
3 : to bring to a specified state or condition <the impact of the 
movie reduced them to tears>
4 a : to force to capitulate b : FORCE, COMPEL
5 a : to bring to a systematic form or character <reduce natural 
events to laws> b : to put down in written or printed form <reduce an 
agreement to writing>
6 : to correct (as a fracture) by bringing displaced or broken parts 
back into their normal positions
7 a : to lower in grade or rank : DEMOTE b : to lower in condition or 
status : DOWNGRADE
8 a : to diminish in strength or density b : to diminish in value
9 a (1) : to change the denominations or form of without changing the 
value (2) : to construct a geometrical figure similar to but smaller 
than (a given figure) b : to transpose from one form into another : 
CONVERT c : to change (an expression) to an equivalent but more 
fundamental expression <reduce a fraction>
10 : to break down (as by crushing or grinding) : PULVERIZE
11 a : to bring to the metallic state by removal of nonmetallic 
elements <reduce an ore by heat> b : DEOXIDIZE c : to combine with or 
subject to the action of hydrogen d (1) : to change (an element or 
ion) from a higher to a lower oxidation state (2) : to add one or 
more electrons to (an atom or ion or molecule)
12 : to change (a stressed vowel) to an unstressed vowel
intransitive senses
1 a (1) : to become diminished or lessened; especially : to lose 
weight by dieting (2) : to become reduced <ferrous iron reduces to 
ferric iron> b : to become concentrated or consolidated c : to 
undergo meiosis
2 : to become converted or equated
synonym see DECREASE, CONQUER
- re·duc·er noun
- re·duc·ibil·i·ty  /-"dü-s&-'bi-l&-tE, -"dyü-/ noun
- re·duc·ible  /-'dü-s&-b&l, -'dyü-/ adjective
- re·duc·ibly  /-blE/ adverb 

Hope that helps.
Mandy.