LATIN LESSONS FROM HARRY POTTER

1. LATIN LESSONS FROM HARRY POTTER by Don L. F. Nilsen and Alleen Pace Nilsen 56

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF LATIN • In Medieval times, Latin was the universal language. • Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic church. This was truly a universal church at the time. • Writers who wanted their writing to be widely read had to write in Latin. • Not only was Latin a universal language in the Middle Ages, but various dialects of Latin later became the following languages: 56

3. THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES • Italian • French • Spanish • Portuguese • Romanian 56

4. LATIN WORDS IN ENGLISH • Many words were directly borrowed from Latin into English. • And many other Latin words that had become Italian, French, Spanish, or Portuguese also became English words on two continents: • In England from • French during the 100 years of Norman rule • French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese because of contact with English speakers • In America • French from Canada and from New Orleans • Spanish from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Latin America 56

5. LANGUAGE CHANGE AND LANGUAGE PLAY • But through time, Latin had to change to adapt to new situations. • The play of language allowed Latin to adapt to new social, legal, religious, political and scientific realities. • As new things were discovered or invented, Latin adapted to fit the new discoveries or inventions… • in exploration • in law • in medicine • in religion • and in science. 56

6. THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE CHANGE • The four most common kinds of language change are: • Connotation • Amelioration • Pejoration • Denotation • Generalization • Specialization 56

7. TWO WAYS OF STUDYING LANGUAGE CHANGE • Top Down: (Analytic or figuring things out) • This approach starts with today’s sophisticated concepts and works backwords • It is an analysis of complex ideas like LIFE IS A JOURNEY, or LIFE IS A RIVER • It is oriented more toward the past. • Bottom up (Synthetic or Generative): • This is a process approach • Concepts start out as simple and become more and more complex. • This is the way language actually works through time. • It is oriented more toward the present and the future. 56

8. LATIN AND THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS • J. K. Rowling uses Latin for the names of characters, places, charms and spells. • This makes her books easy to translate because these characters, places, charms and spells don’t have to be changed. • The Harry Potter books have been translated into more than thirty languages. • Reading the Harry Potter books (in any language) therefore has a side benefit of being a lesson in Latin. 56

9. Expelliarmus! • When people wanted to disarm a person, they would say, “Expelliarmus!” • When Draco Malfoy bursts through the door at the top of the Astronomy Tower at the end of The Half-Blood Prince (book 6), he shouts “Expelliarmus!” at Professor Dumbledore. • Dumbledore’s wand flies away and arcs over the ramparts to fall to the ground below. 56

10. To Expell • Students will know what it means to be expelled from school. • Expelled students have been sent away from school. • In the same way, Dumbledore’s weapons (arms) have been sent away from Dumbledore. 56

11. To arm • Latin “armus, armi” refers to the “shoulder.” • In English the word “arm” has been extended in three ways: • To things that are shaped like arms (“arm of a chair,” “armature” of a motor, “yard arm” of a ship) • To things associated with arms (“arm band,” “arm rest”) • To extensions of our reach (“fire arms,” “small arms,” “army”) 56

12. Alarm, Armada, Armadillos, Armistice Day, Armoires, Coat of Arms Choose from the above words to complete the following sentences: 1. _____, now called Veterans’ Day in the United States, originally celebrated the end of World War I when everyone agreed to “stand up” their arms. 2. European families used a _____ to identify or symbolize their families. 56

13. 3. The word _____ came into English through the French word “alarme” and the Italian call to arms, “all’arme.” 4. _____, which today are large chests used mostly to hide television sets, were originally designed to store arms such as guns and swords. 5. Spanish explorers called their armed ships an _____. 6. In the New World when explorers saw animals with shells scurrying across the desert, they named them ____, Spanish for “little armored ships.” 56

14. New Charms Created by Alleen’s Class: • Ablegatio! (A banishing spell) • Distortio! (Charm to change the shape of something) • Kissamous Amoré! (a love charm) • Lipporiddius! (Charm to lose weight) • Lostis Returnus! (Charm to find something you lost) 56

15. New Inventions Invented by Alleen’s Class • Geriatric Gobbler: A giant turkey that eats snowbirds • Luftreise: A better broom with German engineering. It has a seat more like a bicycle, and optional handlebars to hold onto • Swiffoffator: A new broom that will pick up owl dander. It’s named for those new Swiffer products. 56

16. TEACHER MODELING FOR GENERATING NEW STUDENT SENTENCES • TEACHER: • In nearly all countries, taxpayers support some kind of an army. • Armor is heavy protection worn on the body or put on a vehicle. 56

17. STUDENTS: Use the following words in sentences: • “armed forces” • “to arm a bomb” • “up in arms” • “to disarm the enemy” • “armor” • “firearms” • Relate “armadillo” to “peccadillo.” • Relate “armistice” to “summer solstice” and “winter solstice.” 56

18. Densaugeo! • Explain to students that “Densaugeo!” causes the teeth to grow uncontrollably. • Explain that Draco Malfoy once aimed this curse at Harry Potter, but it bounced off and hit Hermione. • Then break the word down into its two parts, “dens” and “augeo,” and explain: 56

19. Latin “dens, dentis” means “tooth.” And explain how the following English words relate to the concept of “tooth.” • Indented paragraph • Dented fender • Rodents • “al dente” (vegetables that need chewing) • dentifrice • dentate edges on leaves • dentures 56

20. Latin “augeo, augere, auctus” means “increase.” Have students comment on the following: • Caesar Augustus • Auctioneer • Auxiliary Organizations • To Augment your Income • Augmentative in grammar (the opposite of a diminutive) • Auxiliary Verb (Helping verb like “be,” “have,” or “do” 56

21. AN ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF LATIN PERSONS, PLACES AND THINGS IN HARRY POTTER: 56

22. Aparecium! • from Latin “appareo, apparere” meaning “to come into sight” • “Aparacium!” is the spell used to make invisible ink visible. • Related English words include: • apparent, apparently • apparition • appear and appearance • disappear and disappearance 56

23. Cruciatus! (See also “Horcrux”) • from Latin “crux, crucis” meaning “cross” • “Cruciatus!” is an unforgivable curse. • Other English words include: • crucial • crucible • crucifix and crucifixion • the crusades • crutch • the crux of the matter • to crucify someone • to double-cross someone 56

24. Dementors • from Latin “mens, mentis” meaning “mind” • “Dementors” are creatures who suck out human minds and souls. • Related words in English include: • demented and dementia • Mensa (organization of smart people) • mental and mentality • mentally retarded • “non compos mentis” (legal term for “not of sound mind”) 56

25. Expecto Patronum! • from Latin “patronus, patroni” meaning “patron” or “father.” English “father” is etymologically related to “patronus” • “Expecto Patronum!” is a charm which brings one’s protector. Harry’s patronus is his father, an animagus who takes the form of a stag. • Related words in English include: • patron and patron of the arts • patronage • patronym • to patronize someone 56

26. Felix Felices • from Latin “Felix, Felicis” meaning “fruitful” • “Felix Felices” is a good luck potion. • Related English words include: • Felicitous • Felix (the name) • Felicitations (the greeting) • Felicity (happiness) 56

27. Horcrux • from Old English “horreum, horri” meaning “Storehouse” • and from Latin “crux” meaning “cross” • Horcruxes are “sacred” objects in which Lord Voldimort has stored parts of his soul to give himself immortality • Related English words include: • to hoard or a hoard of people • the crucifixion or to crucify • a crutch • something crucial 56

28. Impedimenta! • from Latin “pes, pedis” meaning “foot” • “Impedimenta!” is a spell used to slow down or stop an attacker. • Related words in English include: • centipede • expedite and expedition • impede and impediment • peddler • pedometer • pedestal • pedestrian • pedicure and pedicurist 56

29. Incarcerous! • from Latin “carcer” “carceris” meaning “prison or jail cell” • “Incarcerous!” is a charm which binds people with rope. • Related English words include: • incarceration • to incarcerate 56

30. Incendio! • from Latin “incendium, incendii” meaning “fire” • “Incendio!” is a spell for lighting a fire. • Related words in English include: • incense and to incense someone • incendendiary bullets (tracer bullets so the rifleman can see where the bullets are hitting) • incendiary bomb and incendiary comment 56

31. Lumos! • Harry Potter said, “Lumos!” when he wanted light. • This is from Latin “lumen, luminis” meaning “light.” • Compare Italian words like “luminoso” meaning “bright.” • Compare French words like “lumineux.” • Compare English words like “luminous.” 56

32. Levicorpus! • from Latin “levis, levies” meaning “light or not heavy” • “Levicorpus!” is a curse which lifts the victims’ bodies up and hangs them upside down. • The counter charm is “Liberacorpus!” • Related English words include: • to levitate • to elevate or elevation • an elevator • a levee • unleavened bread 56

33. Levicorpus! (second part) • “Levicorpus!” is also related to Latin “corpus, corporis” meaning “body.” • Related English words include: • corporation • corpse • corpsman (in the military) • corpulent (overweight) • incorporated • Marine Corps 56

34. Lord Voldemort (See also “Morsmordre!”) • from Latin “mors, mortis” meaning “death” • “Voldemort” is French for “flight from death” (cf. English “volleyball.” • Related English words include: • martyr • morbid • mortal, immortal and mortality • mortgage, and to amortize a debt • mortified • mortuary, morgue • murder • postmortem • rigor mortis 56

35. Malfoy • from Latin “malum, mali” meaning “evil or harm” • “Malfoy” in Old French means “bad faith” and this is the surname of Lucius, Narcissus and Draco. • Related words in English include: • malady malaria • malcontent malevolent • malice aforethought malicious • malignant malnourished • malodorous malpractice 56

36. Mer- • from Latin “mare, maris” meaning “sea” • The prefix “mer-” is used for anything related to the “merpeople” who live underwater. Their behavior is “mermish” and their songs are “mersongs,” etc. • Related words in English include: • marina • marinara sauce • marine biologist • Marine Corps • mariner’s compass • mermaid • to emerse something as in “baptism by emersion” • to marinate something 56

37. Morsmordre! (See “Lord Voldemort”) • “Morsmordre!” is the command that makes the Dark Mark appear. • The Dark Mark is the sign of death. 56

38. Occlumency • from Latin “Excludo, Excludere” meaning “to exclude” • “Occlumency” is a spell which skilled magicians use to keep others from reading their minds. • Related English words include: • exclusion or to exclude • occlusion 56

39. Occlumency (second part) • “Occlumency” also comes from Latin “mens, mentis” meaning “the mind, understanding, reason, intellect, judgement” • Related English words include: • mental • demented • mentality • mentally ill 56

40. Omnioculars • from Latin “omnis” meaning “all” • “Omnioculars” are better than binoculars as they allow viewers to see everything in slow motion through instant replay. • Related words in English include: • omnibus (later shortened to “bus”) • omnipotent (all powerful) • omnipresent (ubiquitous) • omniscient (all knowing) • omnivore (eats everything) 56

41. Oppugno! • from Latin “pugno, pugnare” meaning “to fight, or to give battle” • “Oppugno!” is an attack command. Hermione gives it to a flock of little birds that she has conjured when she is angry at Ron for making out with Lavender Brown. • Related English words include: • pugilist • pugnacious • pug nosed 56

42. Petrificus Totalus! • from Latin “petra, petrae” meaning “rock or stone” • “Petrificus Totalus!” is a charm used to freeze or stop someone. • Related words in English include: • Pedro, Peter, Pierre, Piero • petrified and the Petrified Forest • When Christ said “upon this rock I shall build my church,” he was talking to “Peter.” 56

43. Portkey • from Latin “porta, portae” meaning “gate or door” • Whoever touches a “portkey” is transported to the portkey’s place. • Related English words include: • airports passports • port hole (on a ship) portable • seaports portfolio • Portland Portsmouth • to import, to export, to deport • to portage a canoe transportation 56

44. Prior Incanto! • from Latin “canto, cantare” meaning “to sing or chant” • “Prior Incanto!” is a charm that reveals the most recent spell performed by a wand. • Related English words include: • cantata • Cantor (a Jewish name) • chants • Encanto Park (enchanted) • enchantment • incantations • to recant something 56

45. Renervate! • from Latin “renovo, renovare” meaning “to renew, renovate, or repair” • “Renervate!” is a charm to restore a person’s health or energy. • Related English words include: • renovate and renovation • renew and renewal • nova and supernova • novel 56

46. Sectumsempra! • from Latin “seco, secare, secui, sectum” meaning “to cut” • “Sectumsempra!” is a curse that wounds or cuts someone. • Related English words include: • a religious sect • a sectional couch • an intersection and to intersect two lines • an appendectomy 56

47. Sectumsempra! (second part) • from Latin “sempra” meaning always • “Sectumsempra” curses are not supposed to heal. Nevertheless, Severus Snape was able to make a counter charm when Harry used the curse on Draco Malfoy. • Related English words include: • Semper Fidelis (always faithful): the Marine Corps motto • Semper Fi (see above) 56

48. Sonorus! • from Latin “sono, sonare” meaning “to make a sound” • “Sonorus!” is a charm to magnify one’s own voice. • Related English words include: • sonata and sonatina • sonic boom • sonnet • sonorant and sonorous • sound health • sounding board • supersonic 56

49. Veritaserum • from Latin “verus” meaning “true” • “Veritaserum” is “truth serum.” • Related English words include: • to verify something • veracity • verdict (in court) • verification • verisimilitude 56

50. HARRY POTTER WEB SITES INFORMATION FOR MUGGLES: www.Mugglenet.com J. K. ROWLING: http://www.jkrowling.com/ STEVE VANDER ARK & MICHELLE WORLEY: The Harry Potter Lexicon http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html TERMINUS: www.terminus2008.org 56