The long drought between Harry Potter films has finally ended! Believe it or not, it’s been over four years since the final installment of the series hit theaters.
So, today’s first look at “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” was a nice reprieve, even if we do have to wait a whole year before it’s release.
Making the wait a little more bearable, the first look came with some new information from J.K. Rowling. For those who haven’t memorized the entire Rowling oeuvre (both present and future, “Fantastic Beasts” takes place in the United States in the 1920s, and, it turns out, the US wizards and witches have their own unique language. Specifically, we have a different word for muggles (non-magical humans).
I’ll give my fellow American Potter fans a second to let that sink in.
It makes sense. While we may speak the same language, we do have our own slang terms.
Still, it stings a little. We’ve been using the wrong term for years, and Ms. Rowling didn’t bother to tell us. Although, I guess it’s better late than never. So, what’s American for “muggle”?
It’s “no-maj.” While you’re mulling that over, you might be interested to know that it’s pronounced “no madge,” meaning “no magic”. It’s also lame, and I will continue to use the term “muggle.”
Will that make me just as bad as the Americans who use terms like “lift,” or “flat,” because they heard it in their favorite BBC programs?
Maybe in some people’s opinions, but I would argue that I like many of my generation grew up in the wizarding world of the UK, with essentially no knowledge of the witches and wizards on the other side of the pond (even if that’s the one we happened to be on).
So, while I may grow to appreciate no-maj, I’m sticking with the muggle for now.
More on the Story: EW.com
…just for fun:
