Everyone who studies English - at school, in courses, at university - is often recommended to watch films, read newspapers and literary works in the original. At the same time, it is important that the information is not only useful, but also interesting. Harry Potter books and movies in English are a great way to build up your vocabulary and practice your skills auditory perception. They are interesting and exciting not only for children, but also for adults, especially fans of the fantasy genre.

How does "Harry Potter" help in learning English?

A series of books about Harry Potter is not just a fascinating adventure novels by J.K. Rowling, but also a kind of English course, consisting of several levels. It helps to acquire new knowledge and supplement existing ones.

The Harry Potter books are special in that each successive one is more "adult" than the last, and it's not just about the characters and the plot, which become more complex and intricate. There are also changes in the language. It also becomes more difficult. So, for example, in the first book, Harry, Ron and Hermione express themselves in short, simple, fairly understandable phrases, and Dumbledore makes simple statements.

Toward the end of the adventure, the main characters are already discussing ingenious plans and subtle details of how the wizarding world works, and Dumbledore's speech can take up entire pages. The language of the narrator also becomes more complicated: at the beginning of the book it is simple and even cheerful, as in children's stories, at the end it becomes more neutral, and sometimes even sinister.

Reading the original "Harry Potter" allows the reader to imperceptibly raise the bar for the complexity of the text. Why is it invisible? Because an enthusiastic reader sometimes does not even notice how the characteristic vocabulary is mastered, getting used to the author's style, developing reading skills, despite the fact that the text is becoming more and more difficult.

Reader's note

For those who are going to get acquainted with Harry Potter in the book version, some notes will be useful.

Features of the language of the novel "Harry Potter". The novel is written in British English. But in the American edition, some words are replaced by American counterparts to make it clearer to the reader:

Tinned soup (UK) - Canned soup (US) - canned soup,
Mum (UK) - Mom (US) - mother.
Car park (UK) - Parking lot (US) - car parking,
Biscuits (UK) - Cookies (US) - cookies.
However, there are also British words and expressions that have remained in the American version:
Bloke is a guy.
Mental (He "s mental!) - crazy,
Blimey! - Blimey! Can not be!
Trainers - sneakers
At once - instantly.
At the top of his voice - (shout) loudly.

different styles of speech. The novel contains both modern and sublime literary English speech. For example, Harry and Ron talk like normal children, using "I dunno" instead of "I don't know" or "'Spose so" instead of "I suppose so". But representatives of the older generation, professors, aristocrats of the magical world are expressed more bookishly. "I do not require your assistance," said Voldemort.
Hero dialect. The features of the speech of the characters speaking with an accent are also displayed in writing. This feature is inherent not only to foreigners, but also to British heroes with a distinctive accent. French accent, Fleur Delacour: “You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about "Arry Potter." Bulgarian accent, Viktor Kram: "This is his symbol, I recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ven he vos a pupil there."
Author's neologisms and magical vocabulary. Most of the vocabulary is magic terms: well-known words and words invented by the author. For example, muggle is a person who does not belong to the magical world, Blast-Ended Screwt is an Explosive-tailed Devilcrab, a fictional creature.

And such words as spell, charm, hex, curse are often translated into Russian simply as “spells” or “spells”.

Which is better: the book or the movie?

The way of getting acquainted with the novel "Harry Potter" is determined by the wishes and goals of the person studying English. If you need to work with vocabulary (expand vocabulary), you need to practice reading in English, then books are best. If you need to work out auditory skills, listening comprehension of English speech, in this case, you can use the screened version of the novel.

For those who are at the very beginning of the language learning journey, it is recommended to watch Harry Potter films with double - Russian and English - subtitles.

Watching "Harry Potter" in English without subtitles will be interesting and useful for those who are allowed by the level of language proficiency.

Another option is to download an audiobook. The advantage of this option is that the audiobook allows you to get acquainted with the work anywhere and anytime (on the way to work, school, home, etc.). And the inability to see all the special effects helps to concentrate on the text of the characters.

Timeline of Harry Potter films

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in English - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in English - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in English - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in English - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in English - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in English - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in English - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Learn English with pleasure!

What are you today? Are you focused on success and self-development? Or do you want to be transported to the world of magic? Or maybe your life lacks a touch of romance? Choose your mood and a cool book in English with parallel translation that suits you.

We have compiled four selections of books in English for upper-intermediate levels: upper-intermediate and advanced. Make your choice, follow the link and indulge in reading with enthusiasm!

All you need is LOVE: books in English about love

1.by Stephenie Meyer

The world-famous vampire-human love saga that was a bestseller just a few years ago. The book is written in a fairly simple language, and anyone can master it. To consolidate the result, you can go on to reading the following parts or other books of a similar genre (which, by the way, are insanely many).

2. by Jojo Moyes

A romantic story that is gaining popularity ahead of the film adaptation with Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games). Since the book was published relatively recently, it perfectly reflects everyday English.

3.by Emily Bronte

The only novel by the English writer Emily Bronte and her most famous work. The plot will please fans of Victorian literature (with its inherent emotional description of nature), but you need to muster up the courage to start reading this work.

4. by Margaret Mitchell

Describe this book for the hundredth time does not make sense. All of us have ever watched the film adaptation or heard about this work. The book is very bright and large in volume, but, as they say, the road will be mastered by the walking one.

5. by Jane Austen

An ageless English classic filled with sophisticated expressions and really complex vocabulary. I have a special relationship with this work. It was not easy: I read half of the book in about a month and a half, but I struggled with the other half for six months! Omg.

But what was my happiness when I nevertheless marked the last page read in the Lingualeo app, and could proudly say that I read English literature of the 19th century. Join the proud army! 🙂

Magic is all around you: English fantasy texts

1. by J. R. R. Tolkien

Perhaps one of my favorite books in this genre, which has already become an English classic. Professor J.R.R. Tolkien wrote it for children, so you won't see complex alpha level turns here. Going on a journey with Bilbo Baggins, you will not notice how time flies while reading.

2. by C. S. Lewis

Books about the magical land of Narnia will forever remain in my heart. I suggest you start your acquaintance with the most famous part -. Get ready for adventure!

3. by J. K. Rowling

The first part of the book in English about Harry Potter can also be read by a high school student, armed with a dictionary for rare incomprehensible words. However, further the complexity of the language grows in the same way that the characters grow up. In you can find the entire Harry Potter epic in English with parallel translation.

4. by George R. R. Martin

The legendary series of books based on the series “Game of Thrones” will immerse you in the atmosphere of a real Middle Ages filled with magic. After reading the books, watching the series in the original will be unusually easy and interesting!

5. by J. R. R. Tolkien

Starting to read The Lord of the Rings in the original, even for me, an avid Tolkienist, is a difficult decision. Warning: this work is really huge, and you run the risk of getting "bogged down" in it for a long time (from several months to several years).

But it all depends on your desire to improve your vocabulary and travel to Middle-earth to fight Sauron.

Thinking out loud: books for learning English for those who like to brainstorm

1. by Paulo Coelho

A magnificent work by Paulo Coelho that literally guides you towards your dream. The book is written in such a way that, if desired, even a child can master it. Personally, it took me about two days to read The Alchemist, although I mostly read on the subway.

2.by A.Conan Doyle

One of Arthur Conan Doyle's four stories about Sherlock Holmes. If you are a fan of English detective stories, intellectual conversations and mysteries, then this book is here for you.

3. by Ray Bradbury

The world famous dystopia, which is, to some extent, required reading. The beautiful language of the work, ruthlessly focusing attention on the right things. After Fahrenheit 451, you can't help but love twentieth-century American literature.

4. by Jack London

A story that makes you tear your butt off the couch and start acting. Watching the hero of the work, you begin to overcome all the ups and downs with him. The book is replete with descriptions of the emotions of the characters, therefore, you will get to know the beauty of the English language even deeper.

5. by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Dorr's stunning Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been on my wishlist for original books for months now. The action takes place in the 30-40s of the twentieth century and combines the touching stories of a young man and a girl, intertwined with the cruel reality of war.

The vocabulary in the novel is very complex, includes many specific names and scientific terms, so you need to approach the reading fully armed.

work hard. Dream big: motivational books for learning English on your own

1. Do the work by Steven Pressfield

An excellent book for those who need a kick to start learning English, run in the morning and do everything on time. It is hardly suitable for an easy level of English: self-development books are usually written at the upper-intermediate level. It all depends on your perseverance (to help you).

2. by Seth Godin

Many foreign entrepreneurs describe this book as life-changing, so we recommend it for a comprehensive “pumping” of yourself.

The described books, in general, can be read by the owner of the upper-intermediate and advanced levels. But we will not stop until all students (regardless of the level of language proficiency) get their favorite book in English! So next time we will. See you! 🙂

English language learners are often recommended to read Harry Potter books in the original - they are simple, fascinating, interesting not only for children, but also for adults. I put this series off for a long time, but recently I finally got to it, read it and now I want to tell you why Harry Potter is worth reading in English, and also help you learn magical vocabulary.

Why is Harry Potter worth reading in the original?

1. A simple but increasingly complex language

An interesting feature of the Harry Potter books is that each next book is older than the previous one: the characters are becoming more complex, the plot is more intricate, and the theme of death (the main one, according to J. Rowling) is becoming more and more distinct. If at the beginning Dumbledore is a kind, gray-bearded wizard from a fairy tale, then at the end he is a complex, controversial character, if the Dursleys, Harry's guardians, are caricatured in the first book, then later they appear as living people.

The changes concern not only themes, conflicts, characters, but also the language. The language of the book becomes more difficult. Roughly speaking, in the first book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione speak in short, simple sentences, while Dumbledore makes easy-to-understand statements. By the end, the main characters are discussing the fine details of the wizarding world and ingenious plans, and Dumbledore's speech fills the pages. The language of the narrator also becomes more complex: at the beginning it is simple and even cheerful, like in children's books, at the end it becomes more neutral, and at times sinister.

By reading "Harry Potter", you will imperceptibly raise the bar for the complexity of the text. Imperceptibly, because book after book you will learn the characteristic vocabulary, get used to the style of the author, develop reading skills, perhaps without even noticing that the text has become more difficult.

2. Harry Potter is a fascinating series of books

For the practice of reading in English, books that are not only quite simply written, but also interesting and exciting, are best suited. Harry Potter fits both criteria - it's a fun, addictive book series. Personally, I was most pleased with:

Carefully crafted plot– “Harry Potter” refers to those series where each book has a separate story + there is a through line and the main global conflict. There are no unnecessary and boring parts in the book, after reading one chapter, you will want to read the next one. In English, such books are called page-turner (lit.: “page turner”).
Lack of failed parts and a successful ending. The problem with many book series, and television series as well, is that they are written on the go. As a result, the series begins briskly, in the middle it turns off somewhere, and the author, completely confused, simply “merges” the ending. J.K. Rowling thought the whole story through carefully when she wrote the first book, so there is no such problem with Harry Potter.
unexpected twists. I've read books and watched movies with mind-blowing plot twists, and it's hard to surprise me, but Harry Potter is full of moments when I wanted to applaud the author, but mentally, so as not to let go of the book.
Interesting characters. “Harry Potter” is, in a sense, a novel of education, this series is not only about the struggle between good and evil, but also about growing up, the formation of the personalities of the main characters. The villains and some secondary characters are also very well developed. The depth of their characters is revealed gradually, from book to book.
Fantastic world that you want to return to. In the world of Harry Potter, children are taught at school how to turn a rat into a goblet and take care of unicorns. Here they play rugby on flying brooms and learn not to drive, but to teleport. Whenever Harry returns to summer vacation to the ordinary world, he can't wait to get back to Hogwarts. And the reader too.

I will add that I myself did not take on Harry Potter for a long time, because I doubted that I would be captivated by a children's book, but it turned out that I was wrong, because: 1) I was carried away, 2) the book is not so childish.

3. Problems with translation into Russian

If you want to read "Harry Potter" in Russian, you will run into a problem. There are two main versions of the translation of "Harry Potter" into Russian: translation by Rosmen publishing house(various translators) and translation by Makhaon publishing house(translator: Maria Spivak). Most Potter fans consider the Rosman option to be more successful, but it is impossible to find it on sale, since since 2014 the rights to publish Harry Potter in Russia have been owned by the Makhaon publishing house (with an unsuccessful translation).

You might think, well, it's okay, I'll read it in another translation. The problem is that if you have read earlier books in the Rosman translation (and he appeared first) or watched the film adaptations, then you are familiar with such characters as Dumbledore, Hagrid, Severus Snape, Mad-Eye Moody and, of course, you know about the school the magic of Hogwarts.

In M. Spivak's translation, many proper names are rendered differently:

This is due to the fact that speaking, that is, emphasizing the features of the character, it is customary to translate names (or rather, select equivalents) so that the reader or viewer understands the meaning of the name. The translators of “Rosmen” solved this problem in their own way, Maria Spivak in her own way, although I personally agree that her options are in many ways less successful, and sometimes completely unjustified. Why, for example, turn Hagrid into Hagrid?

Of course, if you read Harry Potter in the original, these problems do not exist for you. In addition, you will not encounter text distortions, missing or added sentences, errors, inconsistencies in the transfer of terms and other problems that exist in translations.

Features of the language of "Harry Potter"

1. Harry Potter is written in British English

A series of books about "Harry Potter" was published in English in two editions: British and American. But even if you read books in the American edition, you will notice that the language of the book is British.

In the American edition, indeed, some words are replaced by American counterparts to make it clearer to the reader, for example:

Mum (UK) - Mom (US) - mother.
Car park (UK) – Parking lot (US) – car parking,
Tinned soup (UK) - Canned soup (US) - canned soup,
Biscuits (UK) - Cookies (US) - cookies,

However, many British words and expressions remained in the American version, for example:

Mental (He's mental!) - psycho,
Blimey! - Blimey! Can not be!
Bloke is a guy.
At once - instantly.
At the top of his voice - (shout) loudly.
Trainers - sneakers.

The American edition of the book is Americanized to a minimum. I think that if you have a choice which version to read, then it is better to choose the British one, because the American edition is just as British, but with a slight admixture of Americanisms.

By the way, the most noticeable difference between the editions is not related to the difference between the variants of English. An American publisher persuaded J. Rowling to rename the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" ("Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone") for readers in the United States. In America, it was released under the name "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" ("Harry Potter and the witch's stone"). The name change is not related to the language, it's just that the American publisher felt that the title with the word "philosophical" was not suitable for a children's audience.

2. Harry Potter uses different styles of speech.

In "Harry Potter" you will meet both modern English speech and sublime bookish. For example, Harry and Ron say like normal children: “I dunno” instead of “I don’t know” or “‘Spose so” instead of “I suppose so”. But representatives of the older generation speak more bookishly.

For example:

“I do not require your assistance,” said Voldemort.

"I don't need your help." To a modern Englishman, this sounds like something very formal or bookish. A simple person would say: "I don't need your help." Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and others, as well as the aristocrats of the magical world (Lucius Malfoy, Minister of Magic, etc.)

3. Visual dialect

Features of the speech of characters speaking with an accent are displayed in writing. This applies not only to foreigners, but also to British heroes with a distinctive accent (in England, the pronunciation varies greatly in different parts of the country), such as Hagrid with his simple speech.

For example:

French accent, Fleur Delacour:“Eet was no trouble […] I ’ave been longing to see ’im. Do you remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter." (“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”)
Bulgarian, Viktor Krum:“This is his symbol, I recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ven he vos a pupil there.” (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”)
Hagrid:“Yeh know, she's a fine, well-dressed woman, an' knowin' where we was goin' I wondered 'ow she'd feel abou' clamberin' over boulders an' sleepin' in caves an' tha', bu' she never complained once.” ("Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone")

Hagrid's speech is the most difficult to understand, numerous apostrophes mark places where he swallows sounds (a feature of some varieties of English). For example: “An’ knowin’ where we was goin"” = “And knowing where we were going”, and if you say it right, then “And knowing where we WERE going”.

The display of accent features in writing is called eye-dialect(visual dialect). In Russian literature, this phenomenon is not as common as in English literature; a speech characteristic in Russian is usually created using vocabulary that is appropriate in style.

4. Speaking names

One of the difficulties of "Harry Potter" is speaking, that is, emphasizing some features of the character, names. I have already mentioned above that in different translations the names are rendered differently.

There are three main points of view regarding the translation of speaking names:

Speaking names should not be translated.

It is better to leave them as they are, and in the notes to explain the essence of the pun. For example, let the character's name be Mad-Eye Moody, and the footnote will say that Mad-Eye = crazy eye, Moody = gloomy, gloomy. The disadvantage of the approach is that:

It does not apply to films.
Not suitable for children's books (it is better for children to adapt names than torturing them with linguistic references).
From an artistic point of view, a successful adaptation of a name is often a better choice than leaving it as it is. Remember the Disney cartoon characters and imagine that their names would not have been adapted: Duckrwing Duck (Black Cloak), Lunchpad McQuack (Zigzag McQuack), Webigale Vanderquack (Lamb), Gadget Hackwrench (Gadget).

All names that are somehow translated must be translated.

For example: Madame Sprout - Madame Sprout, Sirius Black - Sirius Black (the surname of the clan of dark wizards), Tom Riddle - Tom Riddle (mysterious character). The disadvantage of the approach is that common sense suggests: some even speaking names are better left as is. Even first-graders know the word “black”, and Tom Riddle sounds like a stupid nickname, not a name.

For speaking names, it is necessary to select equivalents that emphasize the same features, while without prejudice to the work and common sense.

The most common approach. We leave Harry Potter as a Potter, not a Potter, and turn Madame Sprout into Madame Sprout. But even then, there are compromises to be made. Literary translation is always about compromises.

For example, not everyone likes that Professor Severus Snape (Severus Snape) in translation - Severus Snape. The translator wanted to emphasize the coldness of the hero in this way. Even worse is the version of Zlodeus Snape - apparently, there was an attempt to convey a play on words: Snape is consonant with Snake (snake), and Snape is consonant with “snakes”. But the name turned out to be too caricature-villainous and completely inappropriate for this complex character, whose characteristics cannot be reduced to the formula “villainous villain”.

By reading in the original, you will be spared the results of the translators' worthy travails. But another difficulty will arise: you may not be able to understand the subtle play on words woven into proper names. Then a lot of interesting things will pass by, even to a greater extent than when reading a translation.

To help you, I've compiled a little help on the main names and titles (see below).

5. Magic vocabulary and author's neologisms

A significant layer of vocabulary is magic terms, they can be divided into three categories:

Common words for native speakers, for example, dragon (dragon), magic (magic).
Well-known words, but in a new meaning. For example, elves (more precisely, house elves) in Rowling's books are not the same elves as in Tolkien or in folklore.
Words invented by the author. For example, muggle is a person who is not related to the magical world. There are also many fictional creatures in the book, for example, Blast-Ended Screwt - Explosive-tailed Chertikrab.

For me, when I started reading the book, even the simplest words from the first category came as a surprise. For example, I would never have thought that a writing pen (quill) is called differently than a bird feather (feather), and for some reason it seemed to me that a magic wand in English is a magic stick (actually wand) . Magical terms fall upon the reader as soon as Harry begins to get acquainted with the world of magic.

To help you, I have compiled a glossary of basic magical terms. I did not include the author's neologisms in it, since they are explained in the book itself.

“A Muggle,” said Hagrid, “it's what we call nonmagic folk.

("Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone")

Magic vocabulary of the world of Harry Potter

I have categorized magical terminology into three groups: magic, Hogwarts studies, and magical creatures.

1. Magic

Notes:

In the magical world of words wizard and witch(wizard and witch) is used instead of man and woman (man, woman). This also applies to compound words that in English have the root man or woman. For example, instead of spokesman (representative), spokeswizard or spokeswitch is used if it is a woman.
Word witchcraft Literally translates as "witch art/craft". In some translations, Hogwarts is called the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
There is a word similar to witchcraft witchery- witchcraft, the magic that witches do.
Venom is a poison in nature, the poison of a living being, such as a snake or a spider, and poison- this is an artificially prepared poison (even if it is made from snake venom). That is, on the fangs of a snake - venom, in the vial of the killer - poison.
Enchantment- this is “enchantment”, the effect when something is bewitched, magically changed, from the verb to enchant - to enchant. For example, the ceiling in the Great Hall of Hogwarts is enchanted - it looks like an open sky.
Bewitchement(from the verb to bewitch - to bewitch) is a word with a more negative connotation than enchantment. Usually used, which behaves somehow wrong under the influence of evil spells (He is bewitched - He is bewitched).
Spells in the world of Harry Potter are classified in a certain way. The magical effect itself is called spell(spell). Note, spell- this is precisely the stroke of magic itself, the effect, the jet of light from magic wand, not the words spoken by the wizard. Words are incantation(in Russian, too, a spell). Spells are divided into:
- Transfiguration(transfiguration) - the transformation of one object into another, for example, a toothpick into a feather or a rat into a goblet.
- Charm(charm, spell) - changes some properties of the object without making fundamental changes (for example, changes color), also makes the object do something, for example, levitate or dance. For example, Levitation Charm is a levitation spell.
- jinx(corruption) is a relatively harmless type of dark magic that creates a funny but not dangerous effect. Example, Impediment Jinx - makes it difficult for the victim to move.
- hex(spell, conspiracy) - a more dangerous dark magic that causes significant harm. For example, Stinging Hex - stings the victim like bees.
- curse(curse) - the most dangerous type of dark magic, capable of, among other things, maiming and killing. An example, Avada Kedavra - kills the victim.

In translation into Russian, the words spell, charm, hex, curse are transmitted inconsistently, often they are all simply called “spells” or “spells”.

2. Studying at Hogwarts

Academic subjects at Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
castle	lock
Great Hall	Big hall
house	Faculty (in this context)
dormitory	bedroom
common room	living room
cauldron	boiler
kill	pen (for writing)
parchment	parchment
ink	ink
cloak	raincoat
robe	mantle
wand	Magic wand
broom stick	broom
spell-book	spell book
detention	punishment, punishment
Headmaster	director
head of house	dean
professor	professor, lecturer
student	pupil, student
caretaker	caretaker, caretaker
gamekeeper	forester
Transfiguration	Transfiguration
Charms	spells
Potions	Potions
History of Magic	History of magic
Defense Against the Dark Arts	Defense Against the Dark Arts
Astronomy	Astronomy
Herbology	herbology
Arithmancy	Numerology
Muggle Studies	Muggle studies
Divination	Divination
Study of Ancient Runes	Ancient runes
Care of Magical Creatures	Caring for Magical Creatures
flying lessons	Flying on a broom (flying lessons)
Apparation	Transgression (Apparation)

Notes:

house- this is 1) a house (a place where they live), 2) a house in the meaning of “clan”, “family”. In Harry Potter the word house in relation to Hogwarts actually means the faculty. It is also used in ordinary meanings (house, clan).
Under dormitory in modern English, they usually understand a hostel (for example, student), but in the case of Hogwarts castle, the word “bedroom” is more appropriate.
Quill- this is a pen for writing, a bird's pen - feather.
Detention is “detention, arrest”, for example, when a police officer detains a suspect. At Hogwarts under detention punishment was meant when the student had to do some work at the discretion of the teacher.

3. Magical creatures

house elf	house elf
goblin	goblin
giant	giant
vampire	vampire
werewolf	werewolf
hippogriff	hippogriff
unicorn	unicorn
centaur	centaur
basilisk	basilisk
boggart	boggart
dragon	the Dragon
Phoenix	phoenix
ghoul	ghoul
gnome	dwarf
grindylow	grindylow, water
mermaid	mermaid
merpeople	marine inhabitants
leprechaun	leprechaun
ghost	ghost, ghost
sphinx	sphinx
troll	troll
pixie	pixie
manticore	manticore
banshee	banshee
poltergeist	poltergeist

Notes:

Some of these creatures are only mentioned in the book, but do not appear, for example, banshees, vampires.
Word boggart sometimes translated as brownie, because in folklore boggart is a spirit that lives in a house. For example, this is how a boggart (brownie) is presented in the book “The Witcher's Apprentice” by D. Delaney. In Harry Potter, the boggart is presented differently - it is a spirit that turns into something that the person who sees it is afraid of.
There are two similar words in English pixie and fairy, both are translated as “fairy”, less often the word pixie is translated as “pixie”. The difference between pixie and fairy is that pixies are tiny flying creatures, while fairy can be big.

Speaking names, the meaning of names in "Harry Potter"

JK Rowling has been asked more than once how she came up with the names of characters and places, other words. She explained that she simply made up some words without putting any special meaning into them (for example, muggle), some words popped up out of nowhere. For example, about the word "Hogwarts" she said the following:

“A friend from London recently asked me if I remember the first time I saw Hogwarts. I had no idea what she was talking about until I remembered the day we went to Kew Gardens (botanical garden) and saw these lilies there, which were called Hogwarts. I saw them seven years ago, and they swirled in my memory. When the word “Hogwarts” came to my mind as the name of the school, I had no idea where it came from.”

Some names clearly hint at some quality of the character. It can be both a telling name, for example, a professor of herbology called Sprout - a sprout, or more subtle references to cultural or historical realities. For example, the name Remus Lupin (Remus Lupin) clearly hints at the character's connection with wolves: Remus - Rem, one of the founders of Rome, fed by a wolf, Lupin - from lat. "lupus" - wolf, or eng. "lupine" - wolf.

There are also quite normal, not fabulous names in the novel, which acquire some meaning only in context. For example, Dolores Umbridge (Dolores Umbrige) is quite an ordinary, Muggle name and surname, but given that “dolores” is “sorrow, pain” in Spanish, and Umbridge is consonant with “umbrage” (English - insult) , the name becomes speaking.

Note: after each name, I give the translations that I encountered, as well as a brief note about the character. Some nuances, for example, about the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle, I did not mention in order to avoid spoilers.

Character names

Albus Dumbledore - Albus Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts

Albus is Latin for "white". Dumbledore, according to J. Rowling, the Old English word for "bumblebee", perhaps chosen because Dumbledore liked to hum to himself, and these sounds resembled the buzz of a bumblebee.

Severus Snape - Severus Snape, Severus Snape, Zloteus Snape, potions teacher

Severus - from English. severe - harsh, cold, Snape is consonant with snake (snake). J. Rolunig also mentioned that Snape is the name of a locality in England.

Tom Marvolo Riddle - Tom Marvolo Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle, a mysterious character

Riddle (English) - a riddle. Marvolo is consonant with English. marvel is a miracle.

Salazar Slytherin - Salazar Slytherin, a dark magician who lived in the Middle Ages, one of the founders of Hogwarts

Antonio di Salazar (1889 - 1970) - Portuguese dictator.

Cornelius Fudge - Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic

Fudge (English) - nonsense, scammer. Cornelius is an ancient Roman family, from which many statesmen and generals came.

Minerva McGonagall - Minerva McGonagall, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts

Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, crafts and arts.

Pomona Sprout - Pomona Sprout, Pomona Stem, Pomona Sprout, Herbology teacher.

Pomona is the Roman goddess of tree fruits and abundance. Sprout (English) - sprout, stem.

Poppy Pomfrey - Poppy Pomfrey, the school doctor at Hogwarts

Poppy (English) - poppy.

Argus Filch - Argus Filch, caretaker/caretaker at Hogwarts

Filch (English) - to steal, steal. Argus is a giant Greek mythology, whom the goddess Hera put as a guard to Io, the beloved of Zeus. Argus had many eyes, so he could observe everything that was happening around him.

Nevil Longbottom - Neville Longbottom (Dolgopups, Longbottom), a student from Gryffindor

Bottom (English) - back, bottom, long (English) - long, long.

Draco Malfoy - Draco Malfoy, Slytherin student

Foi mal (fr.) - dishonesty, treachery. Maleficus (lat.) - a villain. Draco (lat.) - dragon, snake, consonant with English. dragon - dragon.

Lucius Malfoy - Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, a representative of an ancient family

Lucius is consonant with Lucifer (in turn, from Latin lux "light" + fero "I carry").

Narcissa Malfoy - Narcissa Malfoy, wife of Lucius, mother of Draco

In Greek mythology, Narcissus is a beautiful narcissistic young man who drowned while looking at his own reflection in the water.

Vincent Crabbe - Vincent Crabbe, Draco's henchman

Crab (English) - crab, grumble, crabby (English) - obnoxious.

Gregory Goyle - Gregory Goyle, Draco's henchman

Goyle - probably from English. gargoyle - gargoyle.

Sirius Black - Sirius Black, a representative of the "dark" kind of Black

Black (English) - black. Sirius is a star in the constellation Big Dog. The brightest in the sky. From Greek. "burning".

Remus Lupin - Remus Lupin, Shadow Defense teacher

Lupus (lat.) - wolf, lupine (English) - wolf. Remus is one of the founding brothers of Rome (Romulus and Remus), fed by a she-wolf. In Russian, these names are traditionally rendered as Romulus and Remus.

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody - Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody

Alastor is the spirit of vengeance in Greek mythology. Mad-Eye (English) - crazy eye. Moody (English) - gloomy, gloomy, easily amenable to mood changes.

Note: Auror (fighter against dark magicians) in the original - Auror, from the word "aurora" (English) - dawn, polar lights, the name of the Roman goddess of dawn Authors.

Gilderoy Lockhart

Gilderoy is derived from the words "gilded" (English - gilded) and "roi" (French - king). Lockhart is a real-life surname of a Scottish clan. Includes the words "lock" (lock, padlock), "hart" (heart = heart in English.) The motto of the Lockhart clan: "I open locked hearts" ("I unlock the closure of the heart"). All this fits the character: the golden-haired "king" (Lockhart is a celebrity in the world of magic), the conqueror of hearts.

Lockhart is also the name of a town in Australia near the town of Wagga Wagga. One of the feats that Gilderoy Lockhart boasted about was defeating the werewolf Wagga Wagga Werewolf.

Luna Lovegood - Luna Lovegood, Luna Lovegood, Crazy Lovegood, the weirdest student

The surname consists of English. words "love" - love, "good" - good, good, kind. Luna's name in English means "moon", consonant with "loony" - insane. The odd girl Lovegood was teased at school by "Loony Lovegood".

Fleur Delacour – Fleur Delacour, student at the French Academy of Magic

From the French “flower of the court” or figuratively “decoration of the court”, “the first beauty of the court” (“yard” - in the meaning of “royal court”).

Dolores Umbridge - Dolores Umbridge, Assistant Minister for Magic

Dolores (Spanish) - sorrow, pain, Umbridge is consonant with English. "umbrage" - resentment, indignation.

Rita Skeeter - Rita Skeeter, journalist, writer

Sceeter (English) - mosquito, mosquito.

Lavender Brown - Lavender Brown, a student from Gryffindor

Lavender (English) - lavender. Brown is a common surname, lit. "brown", hardly has a semantic load.

Dobby - Dobby, house elf

Dobbin (English) - a workhorse.

Moaning Myrtle - Moaning Myrtle, Melancholy Myrtle, the ghost of a Hogwarts student

Moaning (English) - moaning, crying. Myrtle (English) - myrtle (evergreen).

Names of animals, birds, magical creatures

Fawkes - Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix

Guy Fawkes is an English rebel, leader of the Gunpowder Plot. The rebels were supposed to blow up the building of the English Parliament, which would serve as a signal for the start of an uprising of English Catholics who were persecuted. But the plot was exposed. Now the day of the rebellion (November 5) is celebrated as the day of Guy Fawkes - on this day bonfires are burned everywhere.

Hedwig - Hedwig, Hedwig, Hedwig, Harry's owl

Hedwig is a saint from Germany. She founded a monastic order, the purpose of which was the education of orphans.

Crookshanks - Crookshanks, Crookshanks, Crookshanks, Hermione's cat

Crook (English) - bend, shank - the lower part of the leg. There is a Scottish surname Cruikshank. Isaac Robert Cruikshank is a famous British artist. He illustrated The Adventures of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens - the first famous novel about an orphan.

Scabbers - Scabbers, Scabbers, Scabbers, Ron's Rat

Scab (English) - sore, scab.

Buckbeak - Buckbeak, Buckbeak, Hagrid's hippogriff

Buck (English) - male, beak - beak.

Fang - Fang, Hagrid's dog

Fang (English) - fang.

Fluffy - Fluffy, angry dog

Fluffy (English) - fluffy.

Faculties at Hogwarts

Griffindor - Gryffindor

From French "golden griffin" Griffin is a mythical creature, half lion, half eagle. The coat of arms of Gryffindor features a golden lion.

Slytherin - Slytherin

Slither (English) - to slide, crawl, slippery. The snake is the symbol of Slytherin.

Hufflepuff - Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff

In English, “huff” is angry, offended, “puff” is exhale, exhale. The idiom “huff and puff” means “huffing, panting (eg after exercise or work)” or “complaining”. Distinctive qualities of the faculty: diligence, perseverance.

Ravenclaw - Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw

In English, "raven" - "raven", "claw" - "claw. Perhaps the raven in the name of the faculty is a hint of a distinctive quality of students: the most intelligent get here. It is noteworthy that the emblem depicts an eagle, not a raven.

The four houses of Hogwarts are named after the four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin.

It is easy to notice two features of these names: 1) they contain alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds, 2) their initials are two identical letters: GG, HH, RR, SS. In the Rosman translation, they tried to preserve this feature, so some of the founders had to be slightly renamed: Helga Hufflepuff became Penelope Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw became Candida Ravenclaw.

Other schools of wizardry

There are other schools of wizardry besides Hogwarts.

Durmstrang - Durmstrang, Bulgarian school of magic

Derived from the German "Sturm und Drang" - "storm and onslaught" - a literary movement in Germany in the second half of the 18th century.

Beauxbatons - Beauxbatons, French Academy of Magic

Translated from French, the expression "beaux batons" means "beautiful sticks." The choice of the translator in favor of "Beauxbaton" is understandable - "Beaubaton" would be dissonant and suggestive of beans and bread.

Flying broom stamps

Comet, Nimbus, Firebolt - Comet, Nimbus, Firebolt (Lightning)

In the book “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”, translated by O. Shapiro, there is a curious comment about the brands of flying brooms Comet (outdated model), Nimbus (modern expensive model), Firebolt (dream broom):

“Firebolt (brand of the modern prestigious Harley-Davidson sportbike; consonant with “fire-ball” - fireball, fireball; “Nimbus” is also a motorcycle brand, but from the 50s, and “Comet” is a bicycle brand)”

Eleven-year-old orphan boy Harry Potter lives with his aunt's family and does not even suspect that he is a real wizard. But one day an owl arrives with a letter for him, and Harry Potter's life changes forever. He learns that he is enrolled in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, finds out the truth about the mysterious death of his parents, and as a result he manages to uncover the secret of the philosopher's stone. On our site you can read the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in English online for free, as well as in Russian. You can also download the book in Russian or English. Those who do not really like to read can download and listen to the audiobook "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" We wish you a pleasant reading!

Read also

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter is in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. New spells, new potions, new teachers, new subjects... All of this is familiar and Harry is looking forward to the start of the school year. But the school is suddenly hit with amazing news: this year Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament, and of course, everyone wants to take part in it ...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Ministry of Magic suffers defeat after defeat in battles with Voldemort. Even the Muggles suffer from the second war - every day there are catastrophes, the causes of which are not known to anyone. But even in war, life goes on.

Harry Potter: Background

Harry Potter: The Prequel (Harry Potter prequel) is an 800-word work by J.K. Rowling, written in 2008 on a postcard specially for sale at a charity auction supported by Waterstone bookstores.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first book about the adventures of a little wizard. This book has become something of a masterpiece. She caused a crazy popularity riot immediately after the release.

Children who did not even read the book at all, after they began to read this book, read it and re-read it several times. The parents were pleased that their sons and daughters were finally interested in books. But it is understandable why this book is so interested in children. Everyone really liked the magical world invented by Joan Katling Rowling, which attracted, beckoned and enchanted children.

The story in this book begins in a small town near London. At Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's house at number four, Privet Alley. The author introduces us to this interesting family, in which everything is normal and like all other people. But in this house there is a ban on everything unusual and fantastic.

Four people live in this house - Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, their son Dudley and Harry Potter, who is practically ignored in this family and consider him too spoiled. Although of course this is not true.

Harry and Dudley share the same birthday. When Dudley is given a bunch of birthday presents, Harry is not remembered. But this birthday was the happiest for Harry. On this day, Harry learns that he is a hereditary wizard and that he will have to study at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From that day on, everything in Harry's life changes.

Read the book and you will find out for yourself.