Why Latin For magic? (was: Identifying with Muggles in Potterver se - Humanities)

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 158239

> James Muses:

> I've always pondered why a lot of the magic seems to be Latin in 
origin. There are definitely hints that wizards existed before 
Latin, so why Latin?
> 
(snip) I believe wizards could in theory use any language
> for spell craft, Latin is useful and common for spell craft 
exactly because it's a dead language that nobody speaks. 
> 

Tonks:
That is an interesting theory.

Botanical names for plants and the names for parts of the human body 
are also in Latin.  And Latin was the official language for the 
Roman Catholic Church until the 1950's.  So there is a common trend 
here as well as in the WW.  As to the underlying reason why, I 
really have never thought about it. But I think the reason has to do 
with the fact that like English today, in the past Latin was the 
universal language.

Tonks_op