Wizarding English: was Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: If Muggles are unaware of Wizards, why do they agree to send their kids to Wizarding schools?

[Irene Mikhlin]

No: HPFGUIDX 49673

"Barb" wrote:

>  "Jeana <jayemelle at earthlink.net>" <jayemelle at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> Besides, who's to say all magical children, even the ones from wizarding
families, do get magical education?  We know about the existence of Squibs,
and apparently there's a possiblity of a child being "not magic enough" (cf.
Neville's family's fears about him) to be accepted into Hogwarts.  And, as
addressed (I think) somewhere in
> the FAQs, there seems to be some sort of class distinction in terms of
who's offered the education in the first place (Stan Shunpike and Madam
Rosmerta don't seem to be alumni, although they're clearly magical).
>
>
>
 Barb wrote:

> Upon what are you basing this?  There's no reason to assume that Stan and
Rosmerta didn't go to Hogwarts, based on the books.  It's like the old joke:
What do you call someone who graduated last from medical school?  DOCTOR.

It kills me every time this comes up: again and again people assume Stan and
Rosmerta didn't, and blame
Hogwarts for being elitist (though Jeana didn't) while the only basis for
their assumption is the subconscious
"No way someone with that accent is educated!".

Anyway, about accents and the wizarding english in general:

Isn't it strange that such an isolated community keeps in touch with
developments in the
language? I was under an impression that even Ron never met muggle-born
children
before starting Hogwargs, not to mention someone like Draco.
Wizards isolated themselves from muggles sometime in the Middle Ages, and
the most modern
artefact they borrowed from them - train - is early 19th century so how do
they keep up
with the language?
In the muggle world there are many examples of isolated communities where
language
was preserved as it has been at the time of the split from the cultural
metropolis.

Irene