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Posts: 3430

Okay I was talking to my mom and she had just finished reading all of the Harry Potter books and she asked me something on the name Voldemort. She noticed that if you were to say it in french it could become three words vol de mort. Which she said meant flight from death or flee from death. Now me, being the only one in the family that couldnt speak french to save her life, was like, wow, that's really interesting. We both began to wonder if JK had purposely made that connection, to make his name truly mean flight from death, and Tom Riddle could have made it to make his name sound like he would never die, or something along those lines. So honestly, and truly, do you think me, or i should just say my mom, found something?
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Posts: 25779

J.K. Rowling studied French in college... so... yeah. It was definitely intentional.
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Posts: 17948 · Posted: January 15, 2008 1:34 pm Post subject:

ooh, i didnt know it had a meaning, i just thought it was the letters of tom marvolo riddle reaorganized to be i am lord voldemort, which of course was voldy's intention

so he didnt realise voldemort meant something in french
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Posts: 3430 · Posted: January 15, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject:

what me and my mom came up with was that he purposely made the letters of his mane into Voldemort. My mother says that Vol de mort can literally mean fleer of death, in other words if you can flee from death you will never die, therefor you are immortal. Which, if I am correct, that is exactly what Voldemort wanted, to be immortal, so if he made a name that meant immortal then people would think of him as such also.
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Posts: 17948 · Posted: January 15, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject:

oh, so you think he did it on purpose?
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Posts: 3430 · Posted: January 15, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

Yes, that's what I am implying. I mean, I dont think JK would make that coincidences on purpose and make it not mean anything to Voldemort.
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Posts: 25779 · Posted: January 15, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

I don't know if Voldemort did it on purpose for a fact, but I'm positive JKR did. I'm sure Voldemort did, too.
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Posts: 16837 · Posted: January 15, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject:

voler also means to steal...he steals from death. makes sense either way.
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Posts: 5009 · Posted: January 15, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject:

Tom Marvolo Riddle also is..

I am Lord Voldemort

JKR is brilliant
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Posts: 1676 · Joined: Jan 8, 2008 Posts: 1676

Posts: 5009 · Posted: January 15, 2008 5:26 pm Post subject:

Posts: 1676 · Joined: Jan 8, 2008 Posts: 1676

How can you be in Ravenclaw and a Hogwarts Teacher? o_o
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Posts: 25779 · Posted: January 15, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject:

Posts: 3430 · Posted: January 15, 2008 6:42 pm Post subject:

im just glad i brought this topic up, shows some of the brilliance of JK
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Posts: 121 · Joined: Aug 16, 2007 Posts: 121

Tom Marvolo riddle = I am lord voldemort - vol de mort = flee from death = he uses the deathly hallows and tries to kill everyone in his way icluding harry. The whole plot of the harry potter books is inside voldys name. yay for jk and Vasavers mom.
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Posts: 47 · Joined: Jan 4, 2008 Posts: 47

I think I read something about Vol de Mort meaning flight from death in... umm... The ultimate guide to the mysteries of harry potter or whatever its called XD
But you're mum was really clever when she figured that out by herself =)
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Posts: 1073 · Joined: Jan 2, 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 1073

That is a very interesting theory! x)
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Posts: 3430 · Posted: January 20, 2008 12:05 pm Post subject:

Posts: 2 · Joined: Jan 24, 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 2

JK definatly did it intentionally. However, it's an interesting thought that perhaps Voldemort knew what he was calling himself.

Also, since technically his name is vol de mort, the 't' on 'mort' is silent. So Voldemort should be pronounced "Vol-De-More", not "Vol-De-Mort."

Posts: 10346 · Joined: Aug 1, 2007 Location: Sharon, PA Posts: 10346

Posts: 28287 · Posted: January 25, 2008 1:58 am Post subject:

Posts: 292 · Joined: Aug 10, 2007 Location: Scotland Posts: 292

Well JK definetaly did use that name INTENTIONALLY seeing as all of her SPELL names come fom latin and ALL have a meaning which is relevant to the PURPOSE of the spell so...It is obvious that she meant for his name to be voldermort right? Not like its your everyday name lol. Also, the whole FLIGHT FROM DEATH thing would explain ALOT seeing as voldermort always feared death more than ANYHING so perhaps it doesn't mean flight fom death as in never dieing but maybe he meant trying to ESCAPE from it, which is obviously IMPOSSIBLE, even for a wizard. I guess this is where the horcruxes come in, eh? lol.
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Posts: 320 · Joined: Jan 10, 2008 Location: Serbia Posts: 320

Vol de mort?Maybe JKR wanted to make it sound like Lord of Death,but name Lord du Mort would sound kind of stupid so she decided Vol de Mort.
That is just a speculation.Maybe her origin is from France so she wanted to make something that sound like French.
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