-
Continue reading →: Carpe Diem!Here in Louisville (and probably all around the world), many of us are super excited to watch the Kentucky Derby later today! My favorite amongst the field of horses is Carpe Diem, mostly because his name has an awesome meaning. Carpe diem is a Latin expression that means “seize the…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter Spells – SectumsempraDuring the next couple of weeks, I would like to explore some spells utilized in Harry Potter. Sectumsempra is a curse created by Severus Snape, the Half-Blood Prince. Sectumsempra can be broken down into two different Latin words – sectum meaning cut and semper meaning always. Sectumsempra most likely means “always cut.” In Harry Potter and…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter – Poll #3
Which Harry Potter character do you admire the most? If I’ve left out a character that you particularly admire, I’d love to hear from you.
-
Continue reading →: Recently Updated About Page
Hi everyone! Since I just turned 10 years old, I thought this was a good time to update my about page. Tell me what you think! https://thewordexplorer.wordpress.com/about/
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter Characters – Severus SnapeLet’s explore another charactonym used in Harry Potter! If you recall, a charactonym is a name that suggests a certain trait about a fictional character. Severus Snape is the feared Potions Master of Hogwarts and later becomes the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. The Latin word severus means strict…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter – Poll #2
Who is the most despicable Harry Potter character in your opinion? Vote below for your least favorite character in the Harry Potter series!
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter Characters – Remus Lupin
J.K. Rowling uses lots of charactonyms throughout the Harry Potter series. Merriam Webster defines charactonym as “a name for a fictional character that suggests a distinctive trait of the character.” In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is hired and his…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter Characters – Argus Filch
Let’s look at another example of how J.K. Rowling incorporates references to Greek mythology in the Harry Potter series. Argus Filch is the despised caretaker of Hogwarts. He is named after the Greek mythological character Argus Panoptes, the obedient watchman of Hera. Panoptes comes from the Greek roots pan- meaning all and -opt meaning eye or vision. Argus (the…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter Characters – Minerva McGonagall
J.K. Rowling uses references to mythological characters throughout the Harry Potter series. For example, the character Minerva McGonagall is named after the Roman goddess Minerva. Minerva is the goddess of wisdom and war; the Greeks called her Athena. Minerva (or Athena) is usually depicted holding the Aegis, her shield which bears the…
-
Continue reading →: Harry Potter – Poll #1
To kick off my series of Harry Potter themed posts, I thought it would be nice to start with a poll. Vote below! .
Hello,
I’m Tara!
My name is Tara and I am a recent graduate of Duke University, with dual degrees in cultural anthropology and political science, and a minor in linguistics. Twelve years ago, I started this blog to share my love of words with others and teach people about the intricacies of etymology and words across our beloved English language!
Join the linguaphiles!
Stay updated with the latest on language.
the word explorer 