[HPforGrownups] JKR's Latin

[meann ortiz]

No: HPFGUIDX 176922

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

---
Meann:
I don't believe JKR ever claimed that the spells have to be in Latin.  She
did use some Latin-based words, but I believe most of the time, she is just
using words that simultaneously sound familiar to readers, conjure up images
in the readers' minds of what the spells are supposed to do, and yet have
this sort of mysterious and arcane flavour.  For example, "Wingardium
Leviosa" may sound Latin-ish, but as you said, it isn't.  However, it
actually conjures up an image in my mind of objects levitating whenever that
spell is used.  So I do believe that she's going more for the effect of the
words more than anything else.  =)


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