The Language of Harry Potter

The Harry Potter series has influenced popular culture around the world in many ways. Because of the series, a large number of new words and phrases have become a part of everyday language for many people. As stated by Jessy Randal, the Curator of Special Collections at Colorado College, “in naming her characters, beasts, spells, places, and objects, author J.K. Rowling makes use of Latin, French and German words, poetic devices and language jokes.” In this post, I will discuss different words and phrases that are known to people around the world made possible through the mind of J.K. Rowling.

People everywhere are now familiar with the word Muggle because of the Harry Potter series. The word Muggle was first used by Hagrid, the gamekeeper from Hogwarts, when he was talking to Harry about his Uncle Vernon. This was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The word means “people who are born with no magical powers”, or as Hagrid describes it, “nonmagic folks”.  The popularity of this word has spread to people everywhere, including people who have not read the books or seen the movie. Moreover, Muggle has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It can be described as an adjective, as well as an insult. While J.K. Rowling made the word Muggle famous, she did not actually invent it. According to the Oxford English dictionary, the first version of muggle was used in the early 1200s. It’s first meaning was the word describing a tail. In addition, the word was also an American slang term meaning marijuana, dating back to the 1920s. Until the past decade, this word has not been used in popular culture, but because of J.K. Rowling, it has taken on a whole new meaning.

Another word that has been made famous through the Harry Potter series is Quidditch. Quidditch is a fictional sport played by wizards on broomsticks. In the books and movies, audiences learn the rules of the game and experience plenty of Quidditch matches throughout. J.K. Rowling thoroughly explains just exactly what Quidditch is, including the positions of the sport, as well as the equipment.  In the first book of the series, Harry is put on the team as a seeker, which is an important part to the team. Because of the popularity of the wizard sport, there is now an International Quidditch Assocation which holds matches and World Cups around the world, as demonstrated in the series.

In addition to words, J.K. Rowling also has interesting name choices for many of the characters, all from different roots. Many of Harry’s fellow students at Hogwarts have names that begin with the same letter in first and last name, including: Cho Chang, Colin Creevy, Parvati and Padma Patil. Other characters with the same style of naming are Peter Pettigrew, Bathilda Bagshot, Poppy Pomfrey, and the four house founders, Godric Gyrffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw. Some names take on a deeper meaning. Voldemort, the evil wizard, has several names including Tom Marvolo Riddle. This is an anagram for “I am Lord Voldemort”. In French Vol de mort means flight from death, which accurately describes the evil lord Voldemort from the series.

Places and spells are also another creative outlet for J.K. Rowling. Two clever names for locations Harry visits include Diagon Alley (diagonally) and Knock Turn Alley (nocturnally).  The name of the wizarding prison is Askaban, very similar to the prison of Alcatraz. Most of the spells used in the book series are based on English or Latin. All of the words J.K. Rowling make sense in some way, and through her novels, fans are able to experience a new type of beautiful language.

Wiener, G. (2003). The Fascinating Language of Harry Potter. Readings on J.K. Rowling (pp. 52-62). San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press.

Lord Voldemort

Lord Voldemort is the most evil wizard in the Harry Potter series. He is the perfect version of an evil arch nemesis. As the story progresses, fans learn more and more about the evil that Lord Voldemort has performed in his life.

Tom Riddle, who later became Lord Voldemort, is similar to the famous Harry Potter in several ways. Like Harry, Tom was also an orphan boy without his parents. Because they did not have their parents, both Harry and Tom considered Hogwarts to be their true first home. In addition, both Tom and Harry have the ability to speak parseltongue, which is the language of serpents. Lastly, they both deeply respected Dumbledore’s knowledge and talent during their time at Hogwarts.

After his time at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle becomes more and more dangerous. He eventually changes his name to Lord Voldermort. Lord Voldemort is very power hungry and does not let anyone get in his way who tries to stop him from reaching his full potential. He has no problem killing people in his search for power over the whole wizarding world. He has killed many innocent people in his life, including Harry’s parents. He attempted to kill Harry as well, but his killing curse rebounded, creating a bond between Harry and Voldemort. Because of this bond, Harry is the only person who can truly kill Lord Voldemort. Voldemort also split his soul seven times in order to lengthen and deepen his life, creating seven Horcruxes. A horcrux is a powerful object created in order to make a witch or wizard immortal. It is among the most evil things a wizard can do. Dumbledore explains that making one horcrux is unspeakable, let alone seven. This shows just how truly evil Lord Voldemort is. He has total disreguard for others and won’t stop in his conquest for greatness.

Furthermore, Lord Voldemort has a deep hatred for muggles. This is because his father was a muggle that left his mother when he found out she was a witch. Voldemort’s main goal in his conquest for power is to eliminate muggles. He believes only people with magical blood deserve to live and will do what it takes to make this happen. It is not until Harry Potter defeats Lord Voldemort that the unfair treatment of muggles ends.  Over all, Lord Voldemort is a great depiction of an evil villain.

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore is one of the main characters in the Harry Potter series. He is headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is known as the smartest wizard throughout the wizardring world. Dumbledore has had a very strong impact on Harry’s life and he is crucial to the story.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, better known as Dumbledore is the headmaster at Harry’s school. He is very influential in Harry’s life as well as other students of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was exceptionally knowledgeable from a young age and exceeded in his studies at Hogwarts. He is known as one of the brightest students in the history of Hogwarts. After finishing his seven years of school, he went on to become a teacher, then later becoming the headmaster of the school. He was requested many times to work for the Ministry of Magic, but turned this down because he wanted to work with young wizards and witches in their schooling. Dumbledore was an advocate of muggle rights and equality.  He was constantly fighting for the rights of muggles and trying to strengthen the relationship between muggles and wizards. Dumbledore was an important mentor and was the driving force behind the demise of Lord Voldemort. Without Dumbledore’s wisdom and guidance, Harry would not have been able to defeat Lord Voldemort.

In the sixth book of the series, Dumbledore dies in a battle with Snape. Fans around the world mourned the death of Dumbledore. He will forever remain one of the most influential characters from the series and live on in the hearts of fans forever. 

Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger is known as the brainy, know-it-all, best friend of Harry Potter.  Harry also meets Hermione on the Hogwarts Express, but it is not until later in the first novel that the strong bond of friendship is formed between the three main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  

Hermione Granger is muggle born, meaning she has non-magical parents, but is often considered to be the brightest witch of her age. She is constantly working on school work, reading a book, or researching in the library. Hermione also is known to take more than the required amount of classes. She is very interested in learning all that she can, and does not care who knows it. Furthermore, Hermione is considered to have a bossy attitude towards others. She is often reminding Harry and Ron that they must finish their homework and not to break any school rules. Although Hermione is not a fan of breaking any rules, there are times when even she believes it is necessary to break a rule or two. For example, in the second novel, Hermione breaks into one of her professor’s classrooms to steal potions. As the series develops, so does Hermione. She eventually becomes less bossy and begins to help Harry and Ron more and more. Hermione’s cleverness is essential  during the journey to finish off evil Lord Voldemort. Often times in the novels, if it had not been for Hermione’s brains, the trio would have been in trouble.  In addition, Hermione has a protective side to her. She is often worried about the trouble that Harry and Ron will get into and urging them to be careful. She is a very loyal friend to Harry and Ron and always wants what is best for them. 

There are several ways that fans can relate to Hermione Granger. First off, she is frequently teased and ridiculed for being muggle born. Other classmates call her names such as “mudblood” or “dirty blood”. Hermione stands up to these classmates and proves that just because she is muggle born does not mean she is a not a great witch. Next, there is a very sensitive side to Hermione. Several times throughout the series, fans see Hermione upset and crying because of arguments with her friends or problems with boys. Lastly, she is the only girl in the trio. Hermione does not have many girl friends at school and is often teased by other girls because of her bushy hair or buck teeth. While Hermione is ridiculed for these things, she never stops being herself. She is always striving to be the best witch she can be, as well as a good friend to Harry and Ron. As the series ends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione remain best friends and help to save the wizarding world. Hermione and Ron eventually get married and have a family together.

Ron Weasley

         Ron Weasley, the best friend of famous Harry Potter, is remembered by fans as the first and best friend of Harry when he begins his journey at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry. He is also seen as the comic-relief of the novels. Ron and Harry met on the Hogwarts Express during their first journey to the school. Ever since that day, Ron and Harry remained best friends, as he was also a critical part of the Harry Potter series.

Ron Weasley, the son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, was one of seven children.  Being the second youngest, Ron is frequently compared to his older brothers, who have a long list of accomplishments. Because of the large family, Ron’s parents are not able to afford clothing and school supplies for the whole family, so Ron is often forced to deal with second hand books and clothing, as well as a pet rat that came from his older brother. Ron is used to being in the shadows of others, and this continues when he befriends the famous Harry Potter. Throughout the series, fans see Ron change into a boy who is not afraid to defend his friends and family. As the novels go on, he is commonly standing up to others and speaking out about what he believes in.

People can relate to Ron for several reasons. First of all, Ron’s deepest desire is to outshine his brothers in school work and Quidditch, the popular wizarding sport played on broomsticks. He longs for the appreciation of his parents and of his peers. Throughout his years at Hogwarts, Ron is often overlooked either because of his brothers, or because of his best friend. Like any adolescent boy, Ron often becomes frustrated with this but still does his best to be a good friend and a good student.  At the same time, Ron is also a crucial part of the story. He helped in the defeat of Lord Voldemort and helps with comic relief throughout the series. In addition, Ron is relatable because of his large family and lack of luxuries. Throughout the story, the author emphasizes the lack of money in the Weasley family. Ron deals with the struggles of not having the nicest robes or the best wand, but he overcomes these problems. Furthermore, many times in the series, readers see Ron’s insensitivity to the opposite sex. He is often complaining about girls and questioning why they are so complicated. This is also relatable to young fans who have read the series. Over all, Ron is a very lovable and realistic character that fans all over the world still love. He truly is the best friend Harry Potter could ask for.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a fictional boy wizard who is known around the world by children and adults alike. This character comes from the Harry Potter book series, which was written by JK Rowling. Harry is the main character of the series and goes through a number of trials and tribulations throughout the series. He must overcome death and fear and still remain the hero throughout.

Harry Potter is considered to be a “child-hero” by many. A child-hero often starts out as insignificant and unimportant. He is alone in a darkness surrounded by evil occurrences. As the stories continues the child-hero eventually meets a guide or helper, followed by a change of environment. In Harry’s case, he meets Hagrid and is then taken to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after learning of his magical talents. This is a major change in environment for Harry, coming from a home where he was the object of hostility and ridicule, to a completely new world where he is known as a hero by wizards of all ages. It is then at Hogwarts that Harry learns he has extraordinary talents and of his true past. This is also a characteristic of a child-hero. 

Through a series of seven different books, each more enticing than the last, readers experience Harry’s transformation from an eleven year old boy who did not know he was a wizard, to a seventeen year old boy who is faced with the evil Lord Voldemort. One last characteristic of the child-hero is when he eventually returns and is praised for his final victories. Harry Potter experiences this after defeating Lord Voldemort in the final book of the series.

                  Harry can be very relatable in other ways as well. As a baby, he lost his parents and is forced to live with his unpleasant aunt and uncle and spoiled cousin. Up until Harry is eleven, he is harshly neglected and is forced to live under the stairs. This show that even though Harry has a very troubled past, he still remains the hero at the end of the story. Harry also faces a deep longing and desire to know his parents. After he learns of their true death in the first novel, Harry’s yearning to know his parents grows deeper and deeper. Like other heroes, Harry experiences real emotions such as desire, fear, anger, and love. Because of what Harry has gone through, people of all ages can relate to him in one way or another. He is a true child-hero that transformed into a hero right before our very eyes.