Bad Latin and wizarding spells
Apr. 2nd, 2011 09:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nancylebovI 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?
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?
no subject
Date: 2011-04-03 08:46 pm (UTC)a) magic was introduced to our world from a close alternate universe. The "bad" latin is merely slightly alien in origin, but it still works to create magical effects. So far nobody's managed to develop "native" our universe magic words.
b) the demons that are the true origin of all magical effects can only work with "corrupted" materials. It has to be bad latin because good latin would approach too closely to perfection for them to be able to use.