Then what does "quiddich" mean? (as in Harry Potter's sport)

what, me worry?

-joe (potrzebie) friday

I thought quid meant one score bob Anglice. But seriously, it's a made-up word. The etymology offered by the author is "a corruption of Queerditch Marsh". I think that's incorrect. I derive quidditch from Kwisatz Haderach.

If apples are red, why do horses have four legs? (^_^)

Quidditch could also be a combination of the three balls:
Quaffle, Bludger, Snitch

Some of the "special" words in Harry Potter are so-so Latin (expecto patronum - I await a protector except it should be patronus), some are bad Latin (expelliarmus - expello = I thrust away, arma = weapon - but it's a made-up word and the ending makes no sense - is it a 1st person plural verb "we expelliar" or has the noun arma changed declensions and genders), some are not Latin at all (avada kedevra is sort of Hebrew, alohamora is sort of African). Even in the decent Latin spells, it's an unusual mix of first person (I do something), 2nd person imperatives (You do it! Flagrate = You glow!) and just Noun! (ferula = stick - creates a splint and bandage).

But that's probably more than anyone wanted to know... ;-)

expecto patronum

Well, maybe exspecto patronum. Patronus is in the accusative case because it's the direct object of the verb. British English being non-rhotic, I always assumed Harry and the others were saying expelliamus. But the -r- doesn't make much sense. There's a list of spells on Wikipedia (link).

I know you are all experts, but that you even all read your Potters so well is_eh, amazing!

(Exceptronus tsuwm who makes potszebra out of this.)

Are you a Frank Herbert fan?

perhaps we should ask if J.K. Rowling is?

Yeah, I expect I didn't notice that because of "expect", but it seems to be expecto in print so it's actually "I comb out a protector."

You're right, I jumped the gun on that.

The spell is "Disarm" so the r is supposedly from arma. If you ignore the "r from arma" connection, expellere, expuli, expulsus should have no 3rd conjugation verb ending with an -iamus (and why one spell with 1st person plural "we"?). If it's not a verb, the nouns based on that verb should be from the supine expulsus, e.g. expulsio (a driving out, expulsion), expulsor/expultrix (one who drives out), etc.

Most of the spells are "I do whatever" but the spell that stops another spell is "(imperative you plural) end the spell!" (finite encantatem). If I can do most things myself, why do I need this mysterious other "y'all" sometimes (or even "we")?

Don't get me started on the school-year-long quidditch season that consists of only three evenly spaced games.

Are you a Frank Herbert fan?

I was. I especially liked The Santaroga Barrier, Hellstrom's Hive, and Dune.

So you are not now a fan? You don't care for those stories any more? I asked because of the Kwisatz Haderach reference, so important in Dune. I'm probably one of three people that actually liked the movie version. It stars some very well known and respectable actors. I need to reread the books; it's been years, but they are so vividly written I almost felt as if the places existed. :0)

So you are not now a fan?

Oh, I still am. I was being dyspeptic. The Dune series got less and less likable. Did you know that Bene Gesserit is Latin? It's kind of Dog Hebrew, too.

dyspeptic: The Dune series got more and more unlikable.

That would be plausible if Quidditch was the title of the heir of Slytherin or something, but I see no connection between a Messiah-like figure and a brutal game. Phonemically it doesn't fit either - the 'ch' in Kwisatz Haderach is like the 'ch' in loch or chemist, not the 'ch' in china.

Do you think that "quidditch" (in the Harry Potter books) also has its root in the Latin "quid"? (e.g.WHAT is this game all about??) And what about the slang term for a pound, both in Britain and Australia, pre decimal? A pound was a quid - also used in such phrases as "I wouldn't be in his shoes for quids".