Piecing the syllables back together, we have a rough translation of the phrase ‘drive out weapon’ – which is precisely what Expelliarmus does. It’s a fascinating example of how language changes and evolves, so here’s a look at five of our favourite stories behind some of the wizarding world’s most famous spells….
‘Armus’, as you may expect, is indeed Latin for a similar sounding part of the body: the arm, or specifically the shoulder joint. Accio â This summoning charm is a direct translation from Latin, meaning âI summonâ.
This becomes a particularly big deal once you realise what it means: ‘always loyal’.
However, there are dashes of Ancient Greek in this incantation too.
A patronus in Ancient Rome was someone of a high class who had a ‘patronage’ relationship with a client, who would usually be less rich, or lower class. The Harry Potter Lexicon is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite. As one scholar points out, itâs quite interesting that Rowling didnât use Lux (also meaning âlightâ) to pair off nicely with Nox. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, We have a new name and a story to better reflect our heritage and our plans for the future. Expecto Patronum, the spell that conjured up Harry’s magnificent stag Patronus, roughly translates into ‘I expect (or await) a guardian’ in Latin, which is apt.
Expelliarmus is one of the most-used spells across all seven Harry Potter books, to the extent that Harry was known by the Death Eaters for using it during Deathly Hallows.
Answers. Say it like: pet-ree-fee-cuss to-tah-luss . This spell binds the victimâs body so they cannot move (but does not affect breathing or seeing).
‘Totalus’ is a loose reworking of ‘totalis’, which, once again, is Latin, meaning ‘total’ or ‘entire’. User Info: qui0003. Since that day, millions of readers of his story have dreamed of receiving an acceptance letter from Hogwarts, the magical place where young wizards master Harry Potter charms and spells, among other adventures.Unfortunately, none of the famous Harry Potter … ..."Petrificus Totalus!" The popular childrenâs books have been translated into 70 languages, with words and names in the wizarding world deriving from French, Latin, and English. It is summoned by Harry in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to complete the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Many notice that the English word wing appears, paired with arduus/ arduum meaning âsteep/ highâ in the context of trying to climb something. Lumos could well come from the 19th-century Latin word ‘lumen’, which simply means ‘light’. What it does: This is a full-body-bind curse where the victim’s body is temporarily bound in an attention position.
Fenrir Greyback. Petrificus Totalus. View 1 thoughts swirling around the pensieve. Pronunciation: Mar-too-s Ess What the occupants of Hogwarts call the dead.
Riddikulus â A spell which sounds very similar to English, but is also the misspelling of Latin ridiculus. First, we have ‘Petra’, which is derived from ‘petros’, which means ‘rock’ in Greek.
Newt Scamander hit bank manager Mr. Bingley with the spell when his Niffler was pillaging a vault in 1926 New York (WFT).
Spellbook Curses and Counter-Curses Related Entries. Fred Weasley. Nox â Latin for a night. Because although ‘sempra’ isn’t a Latin word, it is very close to the word ‘semper’, which was known in the Latin phrase ‘semper fidelis’. Adding the Latin suffix ‘os’ means to ‘have something’: to have light, in this instance. The full Body-Bind, Petrificus Totalus, is probably more preferable, but more on that in a moment. In Ancient Rome, the word ‘patronus’ meant protector, too, but with very different connotations.
Wingardium Leviosa â This spell that Ron Weasley had some trouble mastering in his first year at Hogwarts is a combination of English and Latin.
Add your own. Obliviate â This spell used to erase the memories of the victim has its roots in Medieval Latin, from obliviscor, âI forget.â. However, there are dashes of Ancient Greek in this incantation too. Just 20 years ago, Harry Potter got his owl and acceptance letter to go to Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In time, the term ‘arm’ took on combat meaning (such as, to ‘arm’ yourself with a wand) with the Latin term ‘arma’, meaning weapon. Hermione cast this spell on Neville with profuse apologies when he tried to stop them from going after the Philosopher's Stone. Characters Hermione Granger. Stupefy â Another spell that comes from English but can also be traced to Latin, stupeo âto be stunned, numbed, astonishedâ + fio âmake, do, cause, happenâ. We’ve seen the word so many times, but how did it come together? This disarming charm makes the victimâs wand fly out of reach. "petrificare" L. to make into stone + "totalis" L. entire. Petrificus Totalus – A combination of three words: Greek petros meaning “rock/ stone”, Latin facio meaning “make/ do/ cause to happen”, and Medieval Latin totalis meaning “whole/ entire”. HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. © 2001 – 2020. Say it like: pee-air-toh-tum lo-koh-moh-tor Nox is Latin for ‘night’, but is also rooted in Greek mythology. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place!
So roughly speaking, ‘Petrificus Totalus’ translates to ‘Make rock totally’, which we’re sure victims of the curse, such as Neville Longbottom, totally understood all too well. Digging deeper, we can see that Snape was fond of Latin too, seeing as the first half of his self-made curse, ‘sectum’, is Latin for ‘having been cut’: an interesting choice for a man who has the word ‘sever’ in his own name. The second part comes from Latin levis meaning âlight[weight]â. ‘Ex’ means ‘out’ and ‘pellere’ means ‘to drive’, which finally formed the word ‘expel’. Petrificus Totalus Petrificus Totalus is in de boekenreeks van J . Pronunciation pe-TRI-fi-cus to-TAH-lus.
Neville Longbottom. This spell will leave your victim unconscious. Poor Neville. The Body-Binding spell is heavily influenced by Latin, as you may have guessed from its very Latin-sounding name. The actual result of the spell, the Patronus itself, has an even more interesting history. This spell appears with some variations to the name: "Full Body Bind", "Body-Bind Curse", or "full" (UK) / "Full" (US) Body-Bind Curse", Newt Scamander disembarks from a steamship in New York harbor, James Potter publicly humiliates Severus Snape, The Trio follow Quirrell through the trap door, The Battle of the Department of Mysteries, The Death Eaters: A Guide To Who Was Where, Albus Potter and the lesson in Quantum Mechanics, James Potter publicly humiliates Severus Snape for Sirius Black’s amusement, Harry, Hermione, and Ron follow Quirrell after the Philosopher’s Stone, Dumbledore is killed by Snape atop the Astronomy Tower, Familiarity: The Key to Understanding Spellwork.
Antonin Dolohov. qui0003 - 11 years ago. He tries to do the right thing and stop Harry, Ron and Hermione leaving the common room at night, but all he gets is Hermione and the Petrificus Totalus spell, which leaves his entire body momentarily paralysed.