JKR's Latin

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 176915

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Random832 <random832 at ...> wrote:
>
> >> Ceridwen:
> >> I think the plural is "Inferi".
> > 
> > Potioncat:
> > I agree with inferi, but I'm not sure JKR would ;-)
> 
> Random832:
> We're told "inferi"; in fact, this is before we're told the singular - 
> "inferi" isn't even a proper latin plural for "inferius" - it would have 
> to be "inferii" in that case.

Geoff:
JKR's Latin leaves a little to be desired on occasions. Whether that is 
deliberate or not is open to question - perhaps some of the Latin used 
for spells etc. has been deliberately changed.

Taking some examples, "Finite Incantatem" should correctly be "Finite 
Incantamentum".  I would have expected spells to use the imperative 
form - 'cruci' and 'imperi' but 'crucio' appears to be 1st person singular 
'I torture' rather than 'torture!' and the Imperius curse, using this format
ought to be 'Impero'. Interestingly, "finite" mentioned above *is* an 
imperative and a plural form to boot.

A different puzzle is "Wingardium Leviosa" as there are virtually no Latin 
words using 'w' and I can't trace 'leviosa'.

And that's only a flavour.

So "herself's" Latin is decidedly suspect..... :-)