Ennervate & Innervate and Birdies in the Sky (was Method- comm...)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 122647


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tonks" <tonks_op at y...> wrote:

> 
> 
> Tonks here:
> 
> Ennervate. In English only one N. Enervate. At first I thought this 
> is the name of the spell. ... enervate means ... "to weaken or 
> deplete of strength." 
> 
> So it seems that the message to Hagrid was that someone was injured. 
> No details, just a quick call for help. 
> 


bboyminn:

I have mentioned this before, but that's never stopped me from
mentioning again.

I think 'Ennervate' is a mispelling of the word 'Innervate'.

Enervate - en·er·vate  1. To weaken or destroy the strength or
vitality of: "the luxury which enervates and destroys nations" (Henry
David Thoreau). See Synonyms at deplete. 2. Medicine. To remove a
nerve or part of a nerve. --en·er·vate  (¹-nûr"v¹t) adj. Deprived of
strength; debilitated. [Latin ¶nerv³re, ¶nerv³t- : ¶-, ex-, ex- +
nervus, sinew;


Innervate- in·ner·vate  tr.v. in·ner·vat·ed, in·ner·vat·ing,
in·ner·vates. 1. To supply (an organ or a body part) with nerves. 2.
To stimulate (a nerve, muscle, or body part) to action. 


Also, Ennervate is the counter-curse to the Stunning Curse. It's the
spell that wakes someone who is stunned. It wasn't the incantation
that sent the 'ghostly bird' flying to Hagrid.

Since JKR makes up a lot of words, although those words usually have a
vaild and meaningful foundation, the copy editors in charge of
correcting mistakes in the manuscripts missed this one. It's not a
very common word, and when spoken 'Enervate' and 'Innervate' sound a
lot alike, so the confusion is understandable. I also suspect that
people subconsciously made a reasonable association between
'Ennervate' and 'Energize'.

The '...nerv...' aspect of, most likely, both these words is related
to the word 'nerve'.

I suspect the prefex 'En...' implies a contraction or containment of,
and 'In...' implies the expansion of. Therefore, 'En'-nerve would be a
deminishing of nerve energy or ability, and 'In'-nerve would imply and
expansion of nerve energy or ability. The suffix '..ate' would imply
'the immediate process of' as in communicate being 'the immediate
process of' communing. 

Justifiable I think this should be corrected in all editions
(Ennervate->Innervate), but I seriously doubt that it will be.


> Tonks continues:
> I think it is clear that the Order does use their wands to 
> communicate with each other. Now how the message knows who to go to 
> and how no one else can see it or interfer with it, well that is 
> another mystery.
> 
> Tonks_op

bboyminn:

I think those details are contained in the intent of the caster of the
Messenger Spell. Illustration, when Dumbledore creates the Portkeys,
he doesn't speak any long complex incantations to program the details
of the journey into the Portkey. He simply creates the Portkey and his
intended use it transferred to it. So to, one merely casts the
Messenger Charm with specific intent, and the charm carries that
intent with it.

As far as seeing it, Harry doesn't imply that it is an unusually large
'ghostly bird', and birds are very very common. Seeing a silvery bird
streaking over the skys of London would be nothing, but seeing a large
silvery ghostly stag stalking the streets of London would not be
likely to go unnotice. 

If someone caught a glimpse of the bird they would probably mistake it
for a dove or pigeon. Also, note that the bird is somewhat ghostly, I
take that to mean it is semi-transparent which would make for very
good camouflage. Somewhat like the Disillusionment Charm, the
ghostliness would make it difficult to see as it would somewhat blend
with any background. 

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn