Most of the incantations we heard in our favorite Harry Potter novels and movies aren’t just gibberish. A lot of the spells have roots in Latin and other languages.
Growing up, the only ‘magic words’ available to me were “Please,” “Thank You,” and “Abracadabra.” Now thanks to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, we’ve learned a whole new slew of magical phrases for all our wand-waving needs. But did you know the spells we hear in the movies and the books are more than just silly sounding words? Places like Pottermore, Mashable, and even the Oxford Dictionary went behind the terms and looked at the etymology of our favorite spells.
Expecto Patronum
The protector spell. If we translate this directly from Latin, it means “I await a guardian.” Expecto comes from Latin, meaning “I wait,” but the word “Patronus” itself goes further. In Ancient Rome, a patronus was a very wealthy man who had relationships with lower class citizens. He’d pay allowances to in exchange for services, and in turn help them climb the social ladder. In any case, there’s hits of protection and patronage wrapped into this spell.
Lumos and Nox
These sister spells counter one another. One gives light, the other takes it away. Lumos comes from the Latin word lumen, meaning “light.” Adding the suffix “-os” to Latin words gives it a meaning “to have something.” Nox is “night” in Latin, but Pottermore also likened it to the Greek goddess of the night Nyx. She was a dark, shadowy figure that even frightened the pants off of Zeus (but not in that way).
Imperio
The curse of control. While there’s no actual Latin translation of imperio, the root imper- can be seen in words such as imperatum, a command or instruction, or impero, meaning “I demand.” This makes sense since the caster has absolute and complete control over the target, making them do whatever is instructed of them.
Sectumsempra
Snape’s trademark curse is also rooted in Latin. Sectum is the perfect passive participle of the Latin word seco. Translated directly, it means “having been severed.” Sempra is a derivation of the Latin word semper, meaning “always” or “continually.” Think of the well known phrase semper fidelis, which means “always loyal.” Put sectum and sempra together and you’ve got a spell where you can continually slash your opponent. Ouch.
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What are some of your favorite spells? Any kind of incantation you don’t think gets enough credit? I’m partial to the Colloshoo spell, or the Stickfast Hex. It adheres someone’s feet to the ground with a sticky ectoplasmic goo. The Harry Potter Wiki says the prefix collo may come from a Greek word meaning “to glue.” Sometimes you just have to put people in their place. Literally.