Hogwarts and Warthogs (was: JKR punning names)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 160693

---  "Stacey Nunes-Ranchy" <Aixoise at ...> wrote:
>
> SSSusan wrote:
><snip>Still, I wonder WHY the play on "warthog" for JKR? 
> ... Does JKR have a fondness for warthogs? 
> 
> 
> If there's any significance to the beast, it's going to
> be completely lost in translation for the French. While
> I haven't read any of the books entirely in French, I do
> know that Hogwarts is called "Poudlard" (pou de lard 
> translated loosely as hog's wart) whereas the actual 
> beast, warthog, is phacochère in French, no reference to
> warts at all.  If there is, or will be, any significance
> in relation to the animal, the French editors are going
> to have to get mighty creative to make some sense of it.
> 
> ...
> 
> With humble apologies to Professor Trelawney,
> 
> Stacey
>

bboyminn:

As I recall the story, JKR had decided on the name Hogwarts
and used it in the books. Later she was asked about the
name, and only then was reminded by a friend that 'Hogwarts'
or some very close variation was the Botanical name of a
type of flower they had both seen at the Botanical gardens.
I believe it was either a lily or water lily of some type.

Being a collector of interesting names, as JKR has already
admitted she is, I suspect she saw the name and thought it
was interesting then filed it away somewhere until it came
bubbling up from her subconscious when she needed a name 
for her wizard's school.

Though I'm sure the hog-warts/wart-hogs implication did
not escape her. 

Just passing it a long.

Steve/bboyminn