JKR.com's SPOILERS

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 116926


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Krista7" <erikog at o...> wrote:

Krista:
> Felix Felicis in Latin is something like "Luck of the Lucky." If I 
remember 
> correctly, "felix" is both the masculine and neuter singular of 
this adjective, so 
> it could be either "the lucky (man)" or  just "luck." In addition, 
given JKR's love 
> of word play, I'm inclined to believe it's both "luck of the lucky" 
AND the other 
> side of the Latin meaning, which is to be of good omen, to be of 
good fortune. 

Geoff:
My Oxford Latin dictionary suggests that "felix" is a third 
declension adjective, in which case the genetive form is the same 
when used with masculine, feminine and neuter nouns.

I don't think it would be used on its own for the "lucky man" because 
of this. It does of course occur as a given name. - there is Felix 
whom St.Paul met in the Acts of the Apostles for instance.

Geoff
Pay a virtual visit to Exmoor and the 
preserved West Somerset Railway at:
http://www.aspectsofexmoor.com