The Sphinx's riddle in Harry Potter and the Goblet of First is tough to translate. How's it handled in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese?
The Sphinx’s Riddle: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Icelandic
The Big Reveal: the rare Uyghur translation of Harry Potter I just got my hands on…
For weeks, I've been teasing other collections about this rare and fascinating book. Now it's time to unpack it!
Harry Potter in a made-up language? The Esperanto translation!
Esperanto is the only language Harry Potter has been translated into that's completely made up (like Elvish and High Valyrian)! So what's it like?
A tale of trolls and goblins: the Low German “Puk” in Harry Potter
Translation is a powerful tool, and even the smallest subtleties can create big differences in a story. Take a look at this case from the Low German translation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, where a connection is drawn between stupid trolls and the clever-faced goblins.
Low-resource languages: what they are and why they matter
Every so often, I like to talk about low-resource languages. They're a matter of particular importance in today's tech world and, for me, the topic is especially important in terms of expanding access to vital information throughout the world. So today I want to discuss a little bit about what low-resource languages are, why they... Continue Reading →
The 5 best translations of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone according to the Spellman Spectrum (June 2022)
Our translation rating model has compared dozens of translations of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Find out which 5 scored the highest!
What’s so interesting about Harry Potter in translation?
A look at what makes the translation of Harry Potter such an interesting phenomenon. Using examples from Hufflepuffs to trolls to the translation of puns, we take a look at what Harry Potter can show us about 80+ language communities around the world!
Harry Potter in Hebrew: how good is the translation?
Translating Harry Potter into Hebrew was an interesting choice. Only a century ago it was a holy language, but now it's used to translate tales of witches and wizards! The novelty of modern Hebrew is apparent in the translation, which reflects its young literary culture and its large number of non-native learners. See how it scores on the Spellman Spectrum!
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There are at least hundreds of people active online in discussing, collecting, and trading translations of Harry Potter. The total number of collectors worldwide probably numbers in the thousands. One of the primary goals of Potter of Babble is to help foster this growing community and keep them engaged in active discussion! Here are four... Continue Reading →
Dumbledore’s favorite sweet (or drink?): sherbet lemons and lemon sherbets
Albus Dumbledore is a treat. Famously, his favorite treat is the lemon drop. Or sherbet lemons. Or is it lemon sorbet? Translations can't agree on what it is, or on the password he uses for his office in the Chamber of Secrets.