avada kedavra - a question

[Peggy]

No: HPFGUIDX 126440


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Shunra Shunrata <shunrata at g...> 
wrote:
> 
> A question on the origin of Avada Kedavra - 
> 
> As far as I know from learning Aramaic the original phrase was "avra
> kedavra" - "I will create with my speech" - i.e. it is a
> charm/spell/whatever of *creation*. In HP I see it as "avada 
kedavra" 
> which may be seen as coming from the root "avad" to be destroyed -
 "I
> will destroy with my speech",  which is pretty much what the avada
> kedavra is supposed to do.
> 
> Does anyone know if this modification is intentional on JKR's part 
or
> whether she was just mistaken on the original phrase?
> 
> Thanks muchly
> 
> Shunra

Peg:

I believe (no references at hand) that you're essentially correct--it 
literally means "Let it be destroyed" and was aimed at a disease, not 
a person.  It was originally a healing phrase.

Another poster to the thread says that it was used as "abra 
cadabra."  Yes, indeed, it was, but it's a corruption of the 
original "avada kedavra."

I think JKR decided to use the literal meaning of the phrase for the 
death curse she needed as a plot device.  The fact that most 
Westerners are more familiar with "abracadabra" as part of a stage 
magician's patter means that most people will at least see the 
similarity.  

I wouldn't be surprised if, in the next two books, we see Harry 
explaining to his uncle (if noone else) that he *didn't* 
say "abracadabra," he said "Avada Kedavra" and there's no 
relationship between what Muggles think it means and what it means to 
a witch or wizard in the Potterverse.

Peg--off on a tangent.