Harry Potter Etymology | Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort)

TOM: The name “Tom” means “twin.”

MARVOLO: Implies “marvelous,” but also contains the Latin root “volo” meaning “I wish, want, will, ordain, suppose, maintain that, be willing, to mean, signify, or denote.” “Volo” also means “to fly, speed, or move rapidly.” 

RIDDLE: A “riddle” is “a form of word puzzle designed to test someone’s ingenuity in arriving at its solution.” Riddles were used as a way to both puzzle the audience and teach them to understand poetic language.

VOLDEMORT: In many European languages, “mort” or “mord” refer to “death or evil.” In French, “vol-de-mort” means “flight from death” (meaning escaping death). Also in French, “vol” translates as “the act of stealing,” giving Voldemort’s name the alternate meaning to “steal from death.” In Norwegian and Danish, “vold” means “violence.” In Danish, “volde” means “to cause” and could be derived from the Latin “valde,” meaning “great, exceedingly, strongly, powerfully.” Using these defintions Lord Voldemort’s name would then mean “excessive, great, or extreme death.”

ϟ HARRY POTTER AU
↳ Harry Potter characters in Middle Earth » requested by arkhamsiren

harry potter meme: six spells, magical creatures, potions, and/or objects [6/6] » The Killing Curse

↳ “The Killing Curse is a spell that causes instantaneous death and is one of the three Unforgivable Curses. Its incantation is Avada Kedavra. The only known counter-spell is sacrificial protection, which uses the magic of love. However, one may dodge the green bolt or block it with a physical barrier.”

{ HP + ASOIAF Quote Swap }
→ “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?”
“That is the only time a man can be brave.”