Hogwarts Motto

[David Paterson]

No: HPFGUIDX 70330

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "grindieloe" <andie at k...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, robert haberfield 
> <rhaberfield at y...> wrote:
> > Susan Smith <atroposgryffin at y...> wrote:
> > <Something I have been wanting to ask someone-is the Hogwarts 
motto 
> >
> > 
> > Hogwarts Motto translates as "Let Sleeping Dragons Lie" JKR in 
the 
> Albert Hall said that this was equivelent to the English 
> expression "Let sleeping dogs lie" I hope this is of help.
> > 

> I thought it translated to "never tickle a sleeping dragon."  If 
not, 
> where did I hear that from?

Finally!  A use for my four years of Latin studies (mostly forgotten -
 where can you find a reliable Pensieve around here, anyways?)

Latin doesn't really use articles, and word order is different from 
Modern English.  Word by word, the motto translates:

DRACO - Dragon
DORMIENS - Sleeping
NUNQUAM - Never
TITILLANDUS - Tickle

That's a direct translation.  Putting into current order and adding 
an article, it would read "Never tickle a sleeping dragon".

One caveat is in order (ooh, it's Latin everywhere today!): literal 
word for word translations are not necessarily correct (regardless of 
the languages involved).  Idiomatic expressions can't be taken word 
for word; instead, an equivalent expression must be found.  The 
classic example is the expression "hear no evil, see no evil" which 
was mis-translated as "invisible idiot".

Thus (in my long-winded way) I'm saying that both translations are 
probably correct.


David P.

-=-=-
(With a special Latin sig)

Soylens Viridis Homines Est