# Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726 "2004-06-23T00:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/1 "2004-06-23T00:06:08Z")
Not that my high school and early college Latin is up to the task, but I am enjoying almost-reading HP/SS in Latin, especially what appear to be references to classical literature (e.g., Hagrid’s wand “in partes duas divisum est” and puns that may or may not exist (e.g., though I understand “Petasus Distribuens,” I keep reading it as “Distributor Cap” as well). So– 1. Okay, I can’t parse “hamaxostichus” using my Lewis Elementary Latin Dictionary. Etymology, please? 2. It’s time to come out of the closet, my nerdish friends. What are you enjoying in _Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis?_ [spoliator] tags not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/2 "2004-06-23T00:58:42Z")
I’d give it a whirl if I could find a copy. Do they have them at Barnes and Noble? I do have a copy of Winne ille Pu though, that is amusing. Front cover has a picture of Pooh wearing a laurel wreath. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/3 "2004-06-23T03:13:29Z")
> [@Shoshana](#): > > […]and puns that may or may not exist (e.g., though I understand “Petasus Distribuens,” I keep reading it as “Distributor Cap” as well). Don’t feel bad. I thought the thread title meant “Harry Potter and the Philosophical Rabbit.” ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/4 "2004-06-23T03:15:54Z")
> [@Shoshana](#): > > 1. Okay, I can’t parse “hamaxostichus” using my Lewis Elementary Latin Dictionary. Etymology, please? Context? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/5 "2004-06-23T03:18:45Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > Don’t feel bad. I thought the thread title meant “Harry Potter and the Philosophical Rabbit.” No, that’s the next book. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/6 "2004-06-23T03:32:25Z")
According to Dave Barry, the next book will be _Harry Potter Buys Microsoft_… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/7 "2004-06-23T03:51:38Z")
I’m slowly reading \*Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis \* at the moment, in between work, exams, choir practice etc. I haven’t come across \*hamaxostichus \* yet, but my Latin dictionary includes the verb _hamaxo, hamaxare_, meaning “to yoke to a wagon”, so this may help with the etymology. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/8 "2004-06-23T04:13:25Z")
I got a copy in Welsh for my husband and one in Korean for me, which I started reading but gave up in disgust about halfway through. The translation was pretty bad in places. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/9 "2004-06-23T13:58:51Z")
Not really on topic, but I was both startled and amused to see how many different languages the local library system has some of the Harry Potter books in, when I was trying to figure out which library I should try next for the english version of Goblet of Fire. I was also amused reading the translated titles. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/10 "2004-06-23T15:02:23Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > I got a copy in Welsh for my husband and one in Korean for me, which I started reading but gave up in disgust about halfway through. The translation was pretty bad in places. Was it really? I’ve been thinking of getting the Korean-language one for Mr. karomon, but was turned off by the fact that the individual books are split up into seperate volumes, each costing the same amount of money, or more, as the complete English-language edition. So, in effect, I’d be paying for three or four books per book. That’s just excessive. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/11 "2004-06-23T15:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I haven’t come across hamaxostichus yet, but my Latin dictionary includes the verb hamaxo, hamaxare, meaning “to yoke to a wagon”, so this may help with the etymology. Thank you! It’s actually on the cover illustration, and is part of the name of the Hogwarts Express (hamaxostichus rapidus hogvartensis). (Though in my undergraduate Latin training, I’d have been enjoined to write “hoguartensis” instead.) **Baker,** I don’t know if your local shop or corporate bookmart will have it, but Amazon does. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/12 "2004-06-24T06:27:54Z")
> [@Shoshana](#): > > Thank you! It’s actually on the cover illustration, and is part of the name of the Hogwarts Express (hamaxostichus rapidus hogvartensis). \*\*Shoshana \*\* - No wonder I hadn’t come across _hamaxostichus_. I leapt straight into the first chapter and obviously didn’t look closely at the cover. In the context of the Hogwarts Express it actually makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/13 "2004-06-24T15:24:41Z")
I have a question about the Harry Potter in Latin. What do they do when they have word like television, radio, or car since there are nt Latin words for these things? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/14 "2004-06-24T15:39:43Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > I have a question about the Harry Potter in Latin. What do they do when they have word like television, radio, or car since there are nt Latin words for these things? Modern scholars of Latin have come up with terms for these using various Latin roots. I believe that much of comes from one man’s Modern Latin dictionary, but I don’t remember the specifics. No doubt someone else will chime in soon. I could have sworn that Cecil did a column about this, but can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/15 "2004-06-24T19:35:24Z")
Not to nitpick, but Harry is a diminutive of the formal “Harold”. So you’d have Haroldus. Or does Latin recognize personal or juvenile forms of names? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/16 "2004-06-24T20:39:44Z")
For that matter “Potter” could be translated. Or “Hogwarts.” I assume the translator went for name recognition over accuracy in some instances. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/17 "2004-06-24T22:58:29Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Not to nitpick, but Harry is a diminutive of the formal “Harold”. So you’d have Haroldus. Or a diminuitive of Henry, which is rendered in Latin as _Henricus_ – but iirc Harry Potter is actually just named Harry and not Harold or Henry, so it may be a moot point. I should find a copy of this – I just finished my summer Latin class and although my Latin has improved considerably I’d like to keep it up… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/18 "2004-06-24T23:39:57Z")
Okay, now that I’ve dispensed with that minor interruption known as “Working for a Living,” I can return to issues of consequence, such as the Names of New Things in Latin. Citations are from HP&PS (Bloomsbury paperback, “adult” cover, 1998 edition but reprinted in 2000 or later) and HP&PL (Bloomsbury hardback, 2003) respectively. _Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills._ (7) _Dominus Dursley praeerat societati nomine Grunnings, quae terebras fecit._ (1) _…half-moon spectacles…_ (12) _[post] perspicilla semicirculata…_ (7) _It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter._ (12) _visum est esse ignitabulum nicotianum ex argento factum._ (7) _Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer…_ (12) _duodeciens Exstinctore crepitum fecit…_ (7) _He got into his car…_ (8) _in autocinetum ascendit…_ (2) _And where did you get that motorbike?_ (16) _et unde illam birotulam automatariam nactus es?_ (11) _I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground._ (17) _ipse cicatricem habeo super genu sinistrum quae mera est charta Ferriviae Subterraneae Londoniensis._ (12) But please, don’t let’s go to chapter 2, with all of Dudley’s birthday presents. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/19 "2004-06-24T23:41:10Z")
I do think that _ex argento factum_ is a great name for either a cat or a band. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726/20 "2004-06-25T00:33:09Z")
Okay, still screwing around on the net rather than Grading Things or Thinking Things. Italian-Latin translations including modern/mechanical terms: [http://www.pesaro.com/latino/diz/lexicon.asp](http://www.pesaro.com/latino/diz/lexicon.asp) A site on which it is possible to make out similar terms, in French: [http://perpignan.latinitatis.com/scripta/proiectio/proiectio.htm](http://perpignan.latinitatis.com/scripta/proiectio/proiectio.htm) (Harrius Potter is cited, BTW) And German: [http://www.imperiumromanum.com/relikte/lexikon/kategorien\_technik\_03.htm](http://www.imperiumromanum.com/relikte/lexikon/kategorien_technik_03.htm) There’s a Russian page or two that I can’t do much with, and a Portuguese one that I can’t escape once I enter it, so I won’t burden you with it. Can anyone find an **English** -Latin glossary of modern/mechanical terms? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harrius-potter-et-philosophi-lapis/251726.md?page=2)