Severus

[Geoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 190115

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Marianne Hall" <wildirishrose at ...> wrote:
>
> Has the origin of Severus' name ever been discussed?

<snip>
 
> His entire name was Lucius Septimius Severus.  He was known as Severus.  He was born in Libya.  He had sons, and his wife was from Syria.  His youngest son was a real SOB.
> 
> Think JKR got Snape's and Lucius' names from those origins?  Course, Snape looks like an angel compared to the real Severus.  His entire name screams JKR's research.
> 
> Severus.  The name Lucius is very interesting.  Septimius - isn't that part of a potion.  Semptim Sempra? <sp>  Don't have the book with me right now.

Has the origin of Severus' name ever been discussed?

<snip>

Think JKR got Snape's and Lucius' names from those origins? Course, Snape looks
like an angel compared to the real Severus. His entire name screams JKR's
research.

Severus. The name Lucius is very interesting. Septimius - isn't that part of a
potion. Semptim Sempra? <sp> Don't have the book with me right now.


Geoff:
We have discussed JKR's use of Latin quite a lot at various times. She makes a 
lot of use  of it.

"Severus"  derives from a Latin adjective meaning "stern", "forbidding" and 
(surprise, surprise) "Severe".

I think our Libyan friend's middle name was actually "Septimus", often given 
to a seventh child (if male) and coming from "septem" the Latin number seven 
– familiar in our usage in "September".

"Lucius" is derived from the Latin "lux" meaning "light". There is a brief 
reference to a Lucius in the New Testament and there were three Popes with 
this name: Lucius I (253-254), Lucius II (1144-1145) and Lucius III (1181-1185). 
The famous Roman politician Seneca also had a first name of Lucius. So Mr. 
Malfoy is in illustrious company.
:-)

Regarding the curse Sectumsempra: "-sempra" derives from "semper" meaning 
"always, " and the "Sectum" from one of the verbs "to cut" –(which has a link to 
the English "dissect"). Hence the curse means "to always cut" – hence the 
nastiness of its action.