Bad Latin and wizarding spells

[nancylebov]

I was wondering why the spells are in bad Latin-- the boring explanations are that Rowling either didn't know Latin and/or manipulated the Latin to get results that sounded better for English speakers who don't know Latin.

However, are there any in-universe explanations? I tentatively suggest that muggle Latin was manipulated by wizards to eliminate magical effectiveness.

This sounds good on the first bounce (I've tried it on a few people), but it leaves important questions open. Is wizard Latin much older than muggle Latin? Do we have an unrecorded history of muggles and wizards in close enough contact for language to be transferred?

Comments

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

I would suggest the same explanation that Tolkien used for hobbit names, and that Vernor Vinge used for the names in A Deepness in the Sky: Those aren't the actual spells that are used in the Potterverse. Rather, they're dog Latin that Rowling came up with to represent them to an audience of kids who don't actually know enough Latin to make anything of the authentic Latin spells. That is, they're a concession to the audience. The actual spells are longer and more complex and in correct classical Latin.

[richardthinks.livejournal.com]

or Enochian or Hebrew or Arabic or Ugaritic or Atlantean. I'm more charmed by the idea they're really in bad Latin, though.

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

What, like Fabricati diem, pvnc? That works for me as humorous writing in a world that's not meant to be taken completely seriously. In some measure, of course, the wizarding world isn't meant to be taken completely seriously, at least not by adults.