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

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LATIN LESSONS FROM HARRY POTTER

by Don L. F. Nilsenand Alleen Pace Nilsen

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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:

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THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES

–Italian

–French

–Spanish

–Portuguese

–Romanian

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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

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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.

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THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE CHANGE

• The four most common kinds of language change are:

• Connotation– Amelioration– Pejoration

• Denotation– Generalization– Specialization

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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”)

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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.

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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.”

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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)

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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.

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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.

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• 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.”

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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:

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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

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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”

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AN ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF LATIN

PERSONS, PLACES AND THINGS IN HARRY

POTTER:

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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

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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

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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”)

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.”

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Morsmordre! (See “Lord Voldemort”)

• “Morsmordre!” is the command that makes the Dark Mark appear.

• The Dark Mark is the sign of death.

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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.”

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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Veritaserum

• from Latin “verus” meaning “true”

• “Veritaserum” is “truth serum.”

• Related English words include:– to verify something– veracity– verdict (in court)– verification– verisimilitude

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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

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References

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. “Latin Revived: Source-Based Vocabulary Lessons Courtesy of Harry Potter.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 50.2 (2006): 128-134.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. Names and Naming Processes in Young Adult Literature. New York, NY: Scarecrow Press, 2007 (to appear).

Rowling, J. K. Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1998.

Rowling, J. K. Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 1999.

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Rowling, J. K. Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic, 1999.

Rowling, J. K. Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000.

Rowling, J. K. Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003.

Rowling, J. K. Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005.

Rowling, J. K. Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007.