Phineas Nigellus

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 106873

Catlady wrote: 
> Now that I'm caught up on list (I've read 1800 posts this 
weekend), I
> want to join with the people who said that the dear old 
Headmaster's
> name was Phineas Nigellus Black, and he was known by his two given
> names, as some people are. Back then, I looked the names, and 
Phineas 
> is King James Bible spelling of Pinhas (also spelled Pinehas) 
which is
> a Hebrew named that drived from the Ancient Egyptian name Pa-
Nehasi,
> which means Nubian (as we might name a kid Dane or Scott). And
> Nigellus is a Latinization of the (Irish IIRC) name Neil, but it 
has a
> history of people thinking it was derived from Latin word 'niger'
> which means 'black'. So his name was Black Black Black, close 
enough
> for a JKR joke.
> 

Potioncat:
I like your list of definitions for Phineas Nigellus.  But my 
dictionery says Phineas is Hebrew for Mouth of brass and probably 
was a title for an oracular priest.

Both definitions fit this character very well with JKR's methods. 
BTW, wasn't the real Lucius Severus Nubian?   

Potioncat (another cat trying to catch up this weekend!)