Hey there! Did you know that the word “muggle” in the Harry Potter world means someone who isn’t magical? J.K. Rowling, the author of the series, created this term by tweaking the word “mug,” which means someone gullible or foolish. She wanted it to sound both silly and lovable, and that’s how “muggle” was born!
In the magical world, a “squib” is someone born to magical parents but doesn’t have any magical powers themselves. The word “squib” originally referred to a type of firecracker and later came to mean a disappointment, which fits the description of a squib in the Harry Potter universe.
One of the most intriguing objects in the series is the Mirror of Erised. If you look closely, “Erised” is “desire” spelled backward. The mirror shows you what you want most in your heart, not just your reflection.
The French school Beauxbatons, which visits Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, has a name that means “beautiful wands” in French. Many spells in the series are based on Latin because wizards are portrayed as old-fashioned, and Latin is an ancient language. For example, “expelliarmus,” the spell to disarm someone, comes from “expellere” (to drive out) and “arma” (weapon) in Latin.
Another spell, “lumos,” lights up a wand, and it comes from the Latin word “lumen,” meaning light. To turn off the light, wizards use “nox,” which means night. To make things float, they use “Wingardium Leviosa,” with “leviosa” likely coming from “levo” (to lift) or “levitas” (lightness) in Latin.
To unlock doors, wizards use “Alohomora.” This word has roots in a type of divination from Madagascar. “Petrificus Totalus,” a spell to paralyze someone, combines Greek and Latin words meaning “to make rock totally.”
The three Unforgivable Curses are powerful and dangerous. “Crucio” means “I torture” in Latin, “Imperio” means “I command,” and “Avada Kedavra” is believed to mean “let the thing be destroyed,” though its origins are debated.
“Sectumsempra,” created by Severus Snape, means “sever continuously” in Latin. “Veritaserum,” a truth potion, comes from “veritas,” meaning truth. Even character names have meanings, like Albus Dumbledore, where “Dumbledore” means bumblebee, reflecting his love for music.
Mundungus Fletcher, a less pleasant character, has a name that once referred to foul-smelling tobacco. The Dursleys’ names were chosen based on personal preferences, with “Vernon” and “Petunia” being names Rowling didn’t particularly like.
Voldemort’s name means “flight of death” in French, and his snake, Nagini, is named after snake-like creatures from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain stories. “Apparate,” the way wizards travel instantly, comes from “apparare,” meaning “to appear” in Latin.
The “Hippogriff,” a creature that’s part horse and part eagle, combines Greek and Latin roots. “Expecto Patronum,” a spell to summon a protective spirit, means “I await a protector” in Latin.
“Accio” is a summoning spell, and “incendio” lights a fire, both derived from Latin. An “animagus” is someone who can transform into an animal, with “magus” referring to ancient priests associated with magic.
“Felix Felicis,” a potion for good luck, means “luck of luck” in Latin. “Azkaban,” the wizard prison, combines the real-life Alcatraz and “abaddon,” meaning a place of destruction.
The “pensieve,” a device for viewing memories, is a play on “pensive” and “sieve,” reflecting its function of sorting memories. Lastly, “Horcrux” is a made-up word by Rowling, chosen because it sounded right and wasn’t found anywhere else.
Hope you enjoyed this magical journey through the words and spells of Harry Potter! There’s so much more to explore in this enchanting world.
Imagine you are a wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe. Create your own magical word or spell. Think about its meaning and how it might be used. Write a short paragraph explaining your word, its origin, and what it does. Share your creation with the class and see what magical words your classmates have come up with!
Choose five words or spells from the Harry Potter series mentioned in the article. Research their origins and meanings. Create a poster or digital presentation that explains each word’s origin and how it relates to its use in the series. Present your findings to the class and discuss how J.K. Rowling’s use of language adds depth to the magical world.
Learn about the Latin roots of some Harry Potter spells. Choose a spell like “Expelliarmus” or “Lumos” and break down its Latin components. Create a short skit or role-play where you use the spell in a magical scenario. Perform your skit for the class and explain the Latin roots of the spell you used.
Pick a character from the Harry Potter series and research the meaning behind their name. Create a character profile that includes the name’s origin, its meaning, and how it reflects the character’s personality or role in the story. Share your profile with the class and discuss how names can influence our perception of characters.
Inspired by creatures like the Hippogriff, design your own magical creature. Think about its name, appearance, and abilities. Write a short description of your creature, including the origins of its name and how it fits into the magical world. Illustrate your creature and present it to the class, explaining the thought process behind its creation.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Did you know that the word “muggle” means foolish or silly? Well… sort of. I’m Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of MentalFloss.com and a Gryffindor who is still waiting for her Hogwarts letter. Seriously: where is it? J.K. Rowling borrowed the term “mug” to create a word for a person who’s not a witch or wizard. She once explained, “I was looking for a word that suggested both foolishness and lovability. The word ‘mug’ came to mind for somebody gullible and then I softened it. I think ‘muggle’ sounds quite cuddly.” I didn’t know that the word “muggle” had been used as drug slang at that point. Ah well.
And that’s just the first of many Harry Potter etymologies that I’m going to share with you today. In the Harry Potter universe, another non-magical being is a “squib,” a person who has magical parents but isn’t a witch or wizard themselves. I’m talking about characters like Arabella Figg and Argus Filch. The word “squib” has been around since the 16th century, when it referred to something like a firecracker. Eventually, “damp squib” came to mean a disappointment, which is likely where Rowling got the term.
Speaking of disappointment, nothing is more disappointing than realizing the Mirror of Erised is just showing you what you want to see most. “Erised” is “desire” spelled backwards. There’s also an inscription around the edge of the mirror that, when read backwards, says “I show not your face but your heart’s desire.”
The French school Beauxbatons visits Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. In French, “Beaux” means beautiful and “Bâtons” means sticks. According to fan interpretation, Rowling was probably going for “beautiful wands.” Many of the spells in this series are derived from Latin words. According to Pottermore, this was because wizards are “old-fashioned in nature,” so “it’s not surprising that so many of their spells are rooted in a more archaic language.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that Rowling had a background in classics.
To disarm someone, a witch or wizard says “expelliarmus.” In Latin, “expellere” means “to drive out” and “arma” means “weapon.” By the way, I’m trying my best but I don’t speak Latin, and as much as it pains me to say it, I’m not a witch, so please go easy on me.
“Lumos” is an easy one. This is the spell that characters use to light up their wands, and “lumen” means “light” in Latin. It’s pretty clear that this connection was intentional because to stop the light, wizards say “nox,” which means “night.”
To levitate an object, the spell is “Wingardium Leviosa,” which I can’t say without hearing Emma Watson’s voice ringing in my ears. This one is less self-explanatory, but Rowling likely got “Leviosa” from a Latin word: either “levo” for lift or “levitas” for lightness.
Then there’s “arduus,” Latin for steep or high. “Wing,” with its connection to flight, was probably just borrowed from English. Thanks to Wenzelsays for the suggestion. Rowling leaned on other languages, too. “Alohomora” is the spell that unlocks doors. In “Magic Words: A Dictionary,” author Craig Conley explains that the term comes from Sikidy, a type of divination from Madagascar. In Sikidy, an “alohomer” is often associated with the diviner.
Rowling combined Latin and Greek words to create “Petrificus Totalus,” which Hermione uses to temporarily paralyze Neville Longbottom. Pottermore explains that “petra” comes from the Greek term for rock. The suffix “-ficus” and “totalis” are Latin. They mean “to make” and “total,” respectively. Together we get “to make rock totally.”
And if we’re going to talk spells, we have to go over the commands for the three Unforgivable Curses. “Crucio” is an easy one. It’s the Latin word for “I torture.” “Imperio” forces a victim to do anything that the spellcaster wants. In Latin, “impero” translates to “I command” or “I order.” Then there’s “Avada Kedavra,” which instantly kills someone. According to Rowling, it’s the original Aramaic version of “abracadabra,” meaning “let the thing be destroyed,” though that’s a historical interpretation that may not be totally true.
The Oxford English Dictionary explains that no documentation has been found to support any of the various conjectures which have been put forward. A large group of etymological suggestions tries to derive the word from Hebrew or Aramaic in various ways, but again, supporting evidence is lacking.
“Sectumsempra,” the spell that young Severus Snape came up with, isn’t an Unforgivable Curse but it might as well be with how it continuously slashes its victim. And it turns out that’s exactly what it means. “Seco” is Latin for sever and “semper” is “continuously,” which Pottermore points out is pretty close to “sempra.”
Fun fact: in 2015, college student Katherine Kline discovered an ancient lizard with sharp teeth that self-sharpened. So based on the Latin meaning and the spell, Kline named the reptile “clevosaurus sectumsempra.”
The potion “Veritaserum” is also likely from Latin. It makes someone tell the truth, and in Latin, “veritas” means truth. Rowling embedded deeper meaning into some of her character names, too. Take Albus Dumbledore. “Dumbledore” was a 19th-century English word that meant “bumblebee.” Rowling described the connection this way: “Because Albus Dumbledore is very fond of music, I always imagined him as sort of humming to himself a lot.”
A less pleasant name is Mundungus Fletcher, who is a thief and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. According to Merriam-Webster, the word “mundungus” has been around since 1641, when it referred to a foul-smelling tobacco. For the Dursleys, Rowling relied less on old-timey words and more on personal preference. On the website Pottermore, she wrote, “‘Vernon’ is simply a name I never much cared for. ‘Petunia’ is the name that I always gave unpleasant female characters in games of make-believe I played with my sister when we were very young.”
And “Dursley” is a town in Gloucestershire, near Rowling’s hometown—though she quickly adds that she never visited and just liked the name. Rowling once claimed on Twitter that she doesn’t pronounce the “T” in “Voldemort,” which makes sense considering that’s the proper French pronunciation. The name is made up of French words that together mean “flight of death,” though Rowling has stated that it’s an invented name without indicating a deeper meaning.
In 2009, while accepting the Légion d’honneur in France, Rowling said, “I want to thank my French readers for not resenting my choice of a French name for my evil character. I can assure you that no anti-French feeling was at the origin of this choice.”
Speaking of Voldemort, his snake sidekick Nagini also has a significant name. The prequel film “The Crimes of Grindelwald” revealed that Nagini was once a human woman, and in a Blu-ray extra, Rowling explained that this was a plan long in the making, as evidenced by Nagini’s name. There are stories of the Nagas in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In all three, Nagas are frequently snake people. In Sanskrit, a “Nagini” is a female Naga.
The Harry Potter stories also include some fun, already-existing terms like “apparate,” which is the quick way that magical beings move from place to place. “Apparition” has been a word since at least the sixteenth century, and throughout its history, it has often been used to describe the unexpected appearance of anything, particularly magical beings. The word derived from the Latin “apparare,” meaning “to appear.”
And in this series, the animal that’s a combination of a horse and eagle is a “Hippogriff.” “Hippos” is “horse” in Greek. The “griff” part is ultimately from the Latin “gryphus,” a creature that’s half eagle and half lion.
Let’s speed up. “Expecto Patronum” protects against Dementors with the help of a spectral animal, also known as a Patronus, though it’s also possible to create an incorporeal Patronus if you want to disguise the form of your Patronus. In Latin, “patronus” refers to a protector. “Expecto patronum” means “I await a protector.”
“Accio Firebolt” helps Harry when he’s fighting a dragon and needs his broom ASAP. “Accio” is also Latin; it means “to summon.” “Accio Sorting Hat!” And “incendio,” the Latin word for “from fire,” is another spell. It lights a fire.
An “animagus” can turn into an animal, like Sirius Black becomes Padfoot the dog. The term “animagus” is fairly self-explanatory. “Magus” is a term for priests in ancient Persia that eventually got associated with the occult.
The potion “Felix Felicis” gives the drinker good luck. Makes sense, given that both “felix” and “felicis” mean “lucky” in Latin. It can sort of be translated to “luck of luck.” In a post on Pottermore, J.K. Rowling said that the word “Azkaban,” as in Azkaban prison, where magical criminals are kept, is a combination of the real-life prison Alcatraz and the Hebrew word “abaddon,” meaning place of destruction or depths of hell.
Rowling has also explained “pensieve,” which is a device that preserves memories. In her words, it’s a homonym of “pensive,” but she also wanted to include “sieve” because a pensieve also acts as a sorter of memories, just as a sieve sorts wanted and unwanted materials.
Finally, I want to settle a Harry Potter etymology debate for you. There has been much talk of the meaning of “Horcrux.” Some claim it came from Latin: “horrore,” meaning “to shudder,” and “crux” for “destruction.” Others look to French: “d’hors,” meaning “outside,” and adding “crux” meaning “essence.” But Rowling has claimed that she just wrote syllables until she landed on a word she liked, and she made the decision to keep “Horcrux” after googling it and seeing that there were no results.
Our next episode is about ASMR. Leave your favorite fact about this quiet internet phenomenon in the comments for a chance to be featured in that episode. That will go up on October 2nd. Make sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss it. We’ll see you then!
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Muggle – A person who lacks magical abilities and is not part of the magical world. – In the story, Harry’s aunt and uncle were muggles who did not understand his magical powers.
Magical – Relating to or using magic; having special powers or qualities. – The magical forest was filled with talking animals and glowing plants.
Spells – Words or actions used to create a magical effect. – The young wizard practiced his spells to prepare for the upcoming magic competition.
Latin – An ancient language often used in literature and spells. – Many of the spells in the book were written in Latin, making them sound mysterious and powerful.
Desire – A strong feeling of wanting something or wishing for something to happen. – The character’s desire to learn magic led him on an incredible adventure.
Creatures – Living beings, often with magical or mythical qualities, found in stories. – The enchanted forest was home to many creatures, including unicorns and dragons.
Names – Words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known or called. – The author chose unique names for each character to reflect their personalities and roles in the story.
Potion – A liquid with magical properties, often used in stories to cause a specific effect. – The witch brewed a potion that could make anyone invisible for a day.
School – An institution for educating children, often featured in stories as a place of learning and adventure. – The magical school was hidden in the mountains, where young wizards learned to harness their powers.
Wizard – A person who practices magic and has special powers, often featured in fantasy stories. – The wise old wizard guided the hero on his quest to defeat the dark forces.
