The Wizarding World of Harry Potter through the Magic of Muggle Languages!

month June 2022

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… 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!

Why the fascination for 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… Continue Reading →

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.

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.

The Spellman Spectrum: rating Harry Potter translations on a scale of literal (source-oriented) to gist (target-oriented) translation

An explanation of the Spellman Spectrum, a scale that quantitatively measures and compares translations of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A high score on the scale indicates a target-oriented (gist) translation, while a low score on the scale indicates a source-oriented (literal) translation.

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