WOMBAT

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 159625

> Mark Hyder  wrote:
> >
> > What's the origin of WOMBAT and how relate to Harry
> > Potter?
> >
> > How did JK Rowling came up with the word?
> 
> 
> 
> montims:
> "Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test"
> and I hope I don't get into trouble for that being a 1 line answer...

Carol responds:
To elaborate a teeny bit, it's an animal-based acrony, like NEWT
(Nasty Exhausting Wizarding Tests, IIRC) and OWL (Ordinary Wizarding
Level), so WOMBAT is just a test for Muggles to reveal our knowledge
of the WW, roughly paralleling the tests that the Hogwarts students
have to take but with no essays and no practical component.

Owls, of course, are used as pets and for mail delivery (at least, the
magical ones are) and newts are (IIRC) an ingredient in potions and
must have some magical qualities. Wombats, OTOH, are just large
rodents that resemble large hamsters or small capybaras. I think that
JKR chose a thoroughly unmagical animal that started with "W" (so that
"Wizard" could fit into the acronym) and made up the rest of the name
to fit the letters in the word (as she must also have done with NEWT
and OWL, both of which also contain a W).

Carol, just speculating, naturally