J.K. Rowling is freakin smart

[andysouthpaw]

Check it.

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Word of the Day for Tuesday, May 13, 2008

umbrage \UHM-brij\, noun:

1. Shade; shadow; hence, something that affords a shade, as a screen of trees or foliage.
2. a. A vague or indistinct indication or suggestion; a hint.
3. b. Reason for doubt; suspicion.
4. Suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment.
Coincidence that she named

Comments

[desultorie]

I was not impressed so much as horrified when I first heard Professor Umbridge's name, but that goes for most of her pseudo-Latin appellations.

[andysouthpaw]

Pseudo-Latin appellations? I'm not following you.

[desultorie]

Mal-foy = "bad faith", Draco = "dragon", Lucius = "light", which is a reference to Lucifer, the garbled syntax of her "spells", et cetera. Umbrage itself comes from "umbra" which means shade, and is present in our word "umber". Poe used it frequently, but now it's mostly restricted to discussions involving pigment & painting.

I consider Rowling's use of language hackneyed & akin to Pilgrim's Progress, or even The Phantom Tollbooth, though not half as clever & wise.