On diverse "mean" meanings (was; midget in glasses)

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 50985

>>Erica:"I believe that 'of mean stature' implies that Harry is 'of average 
height' (ie. neither *tall* nor *short*) for his age group"

Falcon:

On a separate note, I did discover in GoF that Harry is no longer short, but 
rather he is average height. It's in the Divination class, where Trelawney 
says, "your dark hair and mean stature." Mean means average, and stature 
refers to height. I looked it up in three different books just to make sure.<<

This comment called to mind one of the anecdotes regarding Jane Austin's 
works in translations. I believe it was an early Russian translation which 
transmuted Mrs. Bennett's "mean" understanding into "average intellegence".  
Evidently Erica and Falcon are in good, if unclear on the concept, company.

The "literary" usage of the therm "mean" has historically been to signify 
"lowly". This usage continued in comparitively common circumstances into at 
least the early 20th century. ("Down these mean streets [must go] a man who 
is not mean, neither tarnished, nor afraid" --Raymond Chandler in one of his 
omniciant narriator interjections.)

-JOdel