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Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. |
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"Is this all real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"
The topic of this article is of a real-life subject that has been mentioned "in-universe" in a canon source. The Harry Potter Wiki is written from the perspective that all information presented in canon is true (e.g., Hogwarts really existed), and, as such, details contained in this article may differ from real world facts. |
French was a Latin language which originated in northern France. It was spoken natively by millions around the world and was an official language of numerous countries, including France, Belgium, and Canada.[1]
History
English Quidditch terminology was uniformly used throughout Europe for many centuries. In 1635, the Académie française des sorciers, a committee of experts headed by the well-known academics Boniface Toubeau and Archibald Bienbon, was founded. It created French equivalents of the original English Quidditch terms.[2]
When 1926 arrived, there was at least one French-language wizarding newspaper, which reported on Gellert Grindelwald with the headline "À la Recherche De Grindelwald: Mage Noir En Fuite" (English: In Search of Grindelwald: Dark Wizard at Large) that year.[3] By 1927, Le Cri de la Gargouille was another known newspaper published in the language.[4]
Harry Potter heard Olympe Maxime and Fleur Delacour talking to each other "very fast" in French after the unprecedented selection of four Triwizard champions by the Goblet of Fire in 1994.[5] Before the Third Task of the tournament later that same school year, Harry heard Fleur "jabbering away" to her mother, Apolline Delacour, in French.[6]
While staying at The Burrow before the wedding of Fleur and Bill Weasley in 1997, Monsieur Delacour declared everything to do with the wedding "charmant!" ("charming!"), and Gabrielle Delacour was heard "jabbering away" to Fleur in "rapid" French.[7]
Vocabulary
Known French wizarding terms
| French word or phrase | English equivalent |
|---|---|
| Non-magiques[8] | Non-magic people |
| Niffleurs[9] | Nifflers |
| Ministere des Affaires Magiques de la France[10] | French Ministry of Magic |
| Mage noir[3][4] | Dark wizard |
| Portoloin[4] | Portkey |
| Sorcier[4] | Wizard |
| Sorcière[4] | Witch |
Known French words and phrases
| French word or phrase | English translation | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| "C'est impossible." | "It's impossible." | Olympe Maxime[5] |
| "Charmant!" | "Charming!" | Monsieur Delacour[7] |
| "Here—permettez-moi to assister vous." | "Here—allow me to help you." | Fred Weasley[11] |
| "Allons-y!" | "Let's go!"[12] | Aurélie Dumont[13] |
| "Merci beaucoup" | "Thank you very much"[14] | Aurélie Dumont[13] |
| "Au contraire" | "On the contrary"[15] | Aurélie Dumont[13] |
| "Je suis désolée" | "Pardon" | Aurélie Dumont[13] |
| "Ou est Madame Maxime? Elle est on perdu." | "Where is Madame Maxime? She has lost us." | Beauxbatons girl[citation needed] |
| "Je ne sais quoi!" | "I don't know what!" | Cassandra Vole[16] |
Known French speakers
- Apolline Delacour[6]
- Fleur Delacour[5][6]
- Gabrielle Delacour[7]
- Monsieur Delacour[7]
- Olympe Maxime[5]
- Diane Launier[3]
- Vinda Rosier[17]
- Aurélie Dumont[13]
Behind the scenes
- In 1996, an advertisement for a Magic Translator's services that appeared in the classified section of an issue of the Quibbler listed several languages available for translation, including the "Latin languages," which presumably included French.[18]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Quidditch Through the Ages (French translation only)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- The Archive of Magic: The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
Notes and references
- ↑
French language on Wikipedia
- ↑ French translation of Quidditch Through the Ages
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "All the 'Harry Potter' Easter eggs you missed in the 'Fantastic Beasts' opening" from Mashable (see this image)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (see this image)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 18 (The Weighing of the Wands)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6 (The Ghoul in Pyjamas)
- ↑ "Fantastic Beasts director reveals the French word for 'muggle'" from Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ News: "Watch the first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" at Pottermore
- ↑ https://www.therowlinglibrary.com/2018/04/22/new-information-about-the-french-ministry-of-magic-and-the-crimes-of-grindelwald/
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 8 (The Wedding)
- ↑
allons-y on Wiktionary
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, "Hosting the Beauxbatons" Achievement - Part 1, Side Quest "Pen-friend or Foe"
- ↑ merci beaucoup on Wiktionary
- ↑ au contraire#French on Wiktionary
- ↑ Harry Potter: Magic Awakened "帽语心愿"
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- ↑ Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, p. 511 (see this image)
