Parsel tongue (has this been asked?)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 147548

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "laura" <laura_k_gilmour at ...> wrote:
>
> I apologise if this has already been discussed and answered....
> 
> ....Can Dumbledore speak Parsel Tongue? I was re-reading HBP 
> (again) and when DD and HP go into Bob Ogden's memory DD asks
> Harry if he can  understand Marvolo and Morfin...he doesn't ask
> for a translation, nor does he indicate that he doesn't 
> understand!!
> 
> Can Parsel Tongue be learned? If so..then why in CoS was it such
> a big deal the HP could speak it(besides the obvious!!)
> 
> Sorry again if this has already been covered!!!
> 
> Laura
>

bboyminn:

Well, this has been touched on before, but never with any clear
resolution. The best I can do is give you my opinion.

I don't think Dumbledore speaks or understands Parsletongue, but I
think he knows it when he hears it. Although I'm very much out of
practice now, I used to be able to identify the various Asian
languages when I heard them even though I hardly speak a word of any
of them. 

I think Dumbledore is doing the same thing. He knows he is dealing
with the Heirs of Slytherin, and he knows that it is likely that they
speak Parsletongue. So, when they start 'hissing' at each other he
knows what they are doing.

Further, I think Dumbledore can divine a great deal of the nature of
what is being said by body language and demeanor. When Dumbledore asks
Harry if he understands what they are saying, I think he is simply
giving him a clue. In a sense, he is helping Harry understand for
himself who these people are and why they are there. 

As far as learning Snake language like any other language, I don't
think so. I don't think Snake language has the clear ridged syntax and
structure that normal language has. When Harry hears the Snake speak
in what he preceives to be sturctured language, I think that is a
translation between his intuition which understands what is being
said, and his logical mind which gives it it's structure. 

So, I think that understanding Snake language is very intuitive and is
a gift that few people have. If you aren't naturally skilled at
picking up the language on an intutive level, then it would be next to
impossible to learn.

Again, that's just my opinion on the matter.

Steve/bboyminn