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The Watchmen
Joined: Apr 27, 2008
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 Posted: April 27, 2008 7:06 am Post subject: Interesting tidbit about the word Avada Kedavra |
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Avada Kedavra is an altered word of Abra Kadabra/Abrahadabra
Abra Kadabra/Abrahadabra was first penned by non other than Aleister Crowley, dubbed The Wickedest Man in the World aka The Beast 666. A philosopher and an occultist, Aleister Crowley was drawn to Black Magick at an early age and studied it all his life.
I thought this was an interesting reference from the Wickedest Man in Harry Potter for the Wickedest Man in Reality.
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GinnyX
Joined: May 6, 2007
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 9:56 am Post subject: |
GinnyX
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It's only a theory that those words came from him. Most people believe those words to have existed long before him.
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Indian_gal
Joined: Feb 15, 2008
Location: noida,india
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: |
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i donno bout all that... but these wiords are very famous in India..
In india when we think of all old magic tales..folk ones... we hear abra kadabra...
its very commnly known here...
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zengrenouille
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Indian_gal wrote: |
i donno bout all that... but these wiords are very famous in India..
In india when we think of all old magic tales..folk ones... we hear abra kadabra...
its very commnly known here... |
In America, it's the first phrase that comes to mind when thinking about magic. It's in EVERY magic show.
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GinnyX
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject: |
GinnyX
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Some possible etymology...
| Quote: |
Online Etymology Dictionary
abracadabra
magical formula, 1696, from L. (Q. Severus Sammonicus, 2c.), from Late Gk. Abraxas, cabalistic or gnostic name for the supreme god, and thus a word of power. It was written out in a triangle shape and worn around the neck to ward off sickness, etc.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=abracadabra |
| Quote: |
Theories about the source of the word are:- Abracadabra - I create as I speak. A possible source is Aramaic: אברא כדברא avra kehdabra which means "I will create as I speak". Abracadabra - The curse and the pestilence. There is the view that Abracadabra derives from the Hebrew, ha-brachah, meaning "the blessing" (used in this sense as a euphemism for "the curse") and dabra, an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word dever, meaning "pestilence. ...
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Abracadabra_-_Etymology/id/1282228 |
| Quote: |
Webster's Online Dictionary
Abracadabra is a popular phrase, now commonly used as an incantation by magicianss. In ancient times, however, the word was taken much more seriously as an incantation to be used as a cure against fevers and inflammations. It was first mentioned in this capacity in De Medicina Praecepta by Serenus Sammonicus, physician to the Roman emperor Caracalla, who prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of an inverted cone:
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
This, he explained, diminishes the hold of the spirit of the disease over the patient. Other Roman emperors, including Geta and Alexander Severus, were followers of the medical teachings of Serenus Sammonicus and are likely to have used the incantation as well.
Some scholars have argued that the incantation has its source in the Jewish mystical teachings of the Kabbalah, and that the word itself is a corruption of two Hebrew words: ha-brachah, meaning "the blessing" (used in this sense as a euphemism for "the curse") and dabra, an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word dever, meaning "pestilence." They point to a similar kabbalistic cure for blindness, in which the name of Shabriri, the demon of blindness, is similarly diminished. Other scholars are skeptical of this origin and claim that the idea of diminishing the power of demons was common throughout the ancient world, and that Abracadabra was simply the name of one such demon.
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/ab/abracadabra.html |
| Quote: |
American Heritage Dictionary...
SYLLABICATION: ab·ra·ca·dab·ra
PRONUNCIATION: br-k-dbr
NOUN: 1. A magical charm or incantation having the power to ward off disease or disaster. 2. Foolish or unintelligible talk.
ETYMOLOGY: Late Latin, magical formula.
WORD HISTORY: “Abracadabra,” says the magician, unaware that at one time the thing to do with the word was wear it, not say it. Abracadabra was a magic word, the letters of which were arranged in an inverted pyramid and worn as an amulet around the neck to protect the wearer against disease or trouble. One fewer letter appeared in each line of the pyramid, until only a remained to form the vertex of the triangle. As the letters disappeared, so supposedly did the disease or trouble. While magicians still use abracadabra in their performances, the word itself has acquired another sense, “foolish or unintelligible talk.”
http://www.bartleby.com/61/21/A0022100.html |
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The Watchmen
Joined: Apr 27, 2008
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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You probably just proved Aleister Crowley wrong, he has always claimed founder of those words. 
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lozinja
Joined: Nov 4, 2007
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| Posted: April 27, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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hm i did notice that avada kedavra sounded like abra kedabra, but i didn't know about the many histories of the word.
it's possible rowling did base it on abra kedabra because of the story about the evilist man in history, whether she thought it was true or not.
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GinnyX
Joined: May 6, 2007
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| Posted: April 28, 2008 9:47 am Post subject: |
GinnyX
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| The Watchmen wrote: |
| You probably just proved Aleister Crowley wrong, he has always claimed founder of those words. |
His claims are definitely invalid. That phrase has definitely been around longer than him. I wonder what made him make such claims.
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kwidditch
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| Posted: April 28, 2008 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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Avada Kedavra is Aramaic for "let the thing be destroyed".
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The Watchmen
Joined: Apr 27, 2008
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| GinnyX wrote: |
| The Watchmen wrote: |
| You probably just proved Aleister Crowley wrong, he has always claimed founder of those words. |
His claims are definitely invalid. That phrase has definitely been around longer than him. I wonder what made him make such claims. |
Probably because he was one of the main Occultist's in History, probably wanted more to his name.
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lozinja
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 3:30 am Post subject: |
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| kwidditch wrote: |
| Avada Kedavra is Aramaic for "let the thing be destroyed". |
does that mean it has absolutely nothing to do with abra kadabra then?
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zengrenouille
Joined: Aug 1, 2007
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| lozinja wrote: |
| kwidditch wrote: |
| Avada Kedavra is Aramaic for "let the thing be destroyed". |
does that mean it has absolutely nothing to do with abra kadabra then? |
Yes it does, but kwidditch was half-way there.
Perfect Latin is not a very magical medium, is it? Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means “let the thing be destroyed”. Originally, it was used to cure illness and the “thing” was the illness, but I decided to make it the “thing” as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine.
http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80
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Interficio
Joined: Feb 22, 2008
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Heres what JK said about it:
"Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means "let the thing be destroyed". Originally, it was used to cure illness and the "thing" was the illness, but I decided to make it the "thing" as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine."
http://users.erols.com/chare/hp/hp_jkr_quotes.htm
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GinnyX
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
GinnyX
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| Interficio wrote: |
Heres what JK said about it:
"Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means "let the thing be destroyed". Originally, it was used to cure illness and the "thing" was the illness, but I decided to make it the "thing" as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine."
http://users.erols.com/chare/hp/hp_jkr_quotes.htm |
lol, I think Zen just posted the same quote you did right above you, hun... 
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Interficio
Joined: Feb 22, 2008
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| Posted: April 29, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| GinnyX wrote: |
| Interficio wrote: |
Heres what JK said about it:
"Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means "let the thing be destroyed". Originally, it was used to cure illness and the "thing" was the illness, but I decided to make it the "thing" as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine."
http://users.erols.com/chare/hp/hp_jkr_quotes.htm |
lol, I think Zen just posted the same quote you did right above you, hun... |
Damn. Thats what I get for not refreshing the thread for 2 hours...lol...
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Cho Chang200
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| Posted: May 1, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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When I think of magic,I think Abra Kadabra and Hocus Pocus,Alakazam!
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shewhoshouldnotbenamed
Joined: Apr 1, 2007
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| Posted: May 1, 2008 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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| GinnyX wrote: |
| It's only a theory that those words came from him. Most people believe those words to have existed long before him. |
ok now im gonna start
Avada Kedavra
the name comes from the middle eastern language Aramaic
Abhadda kedhabha which mean 'disappear like this work'
it was used be ancient 'wizards' to make illness disappear
this is also the origin of the work abeacadabra
which was used by Roman doctors in a spell like fashion by writing
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
on a peice of paper and to be tied around the pateints neck with flax for 9 days then to be tosses over the shoulder into a stream running to the east, when the water dissolved the words the fever would dissapear, this remedy, if nothing else lets time pass, and most fevers run their course naturally in a week or so
later on it was also used for the black death |
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Interficio
Joined: Feb 22, 2008
Location: Virginia, USA
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| Posted: May 1, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| shewhoshouldnotbenamed wrote: |
| GinnyX wrote: |
| It's only a theory that those words came from him. Most people believe those words to have existed long before him. |
ok now im gonna start
Avada Kedavra
the name comes from the middle eastern language Aramaic
Abhadda kedhabha which mean 'disappear like this work'
it was used be ancient 'wizards' to make illness disappear
this is also the origin of the work abeacadabra
which was used by Roman doctors in a spell like fashion by writing
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
on a peice of paper and to be tied around the pateints neck with flax for 9 days then to be tosses over the shoulder into a stream running to the east, when the water dissolved the words the fever would dissapear, this remedy, if nothing else lets time pass, and most fevers run their course naturally in a week or so
later on it was also used for the black death |
Ginny just posted that.........
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shewhoshouldnotbenamed
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| Posted: May 1, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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i know 
but id already sat and typed it up
and i dont think anyone got
'Abhadda kedhabha which mean 'disappear like this word' '
at least i have like one tiny little detail lmao |
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serafim_azriel
Joined: Apr 9, 2008
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| Posted: May 2, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Well, I know it's also been answered, but JK probably also chose it because Kedavra can sound like Cadaver (as in dead body).
((But maybe I just pronounce things oddly.))
Either way, it is spelled similar.
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Darth Potter
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| Posted: May 8, 2008 10:21 am Post subject: |
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Wow... lots of interesting information here.
I too noticed that the spell sounded a lot like Abra Cadrabra (or whatever)...
But I also noticed most spells have some root in Latin or some other ancient languages
Examples:
Levicorpus: (Lift body) The ankle hanging spell
Lumos: (Illumination) Lighting of wand-tips
There are many, many more. |
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GinnyX
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| Posted: May 8, 2008 10:45 am Post subject: |
GinnyX
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| Darth Potter wrote: |
Wow... lots of interesting information here.
I too noticed that the spell sounded a lot like Abra Cadrabra (or whatever)... |
You might really enjoy this link
http://www.potterforums.com/about13528.html
| Quote: |
But I also noticed most spells have some root in Latin or some other ancient languages
Examples:
Levicorpus: (Lift body) The ankle hanging spell
Lumos: (Illumination) Lighting of wand-tips
There are many, many more. |
If you use our search function, you'll find a bunch of threads about this topic, they're really interesting theads... well, some of them are, lol.
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Darth Potter
Joined: May 7, 2008
Location: So Cal
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| Posted: May 8, 2008 10:56 am Post subject: |
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| GinnyX wrote: |
| Darth Potter wrote: |
Wow... lots of interesting information here.
I too noticed that the spell sounded a lot like Abra Cadrabra (or whatever)... |
You might really enjoy this link
http://www.potterforums.com/about13528.html
| Quote: |
But I also noticed most spells have some root in Latin or some other ancient languages
Examples:
Levicorpus: (Lift body) The ankle hanging spell
Lumos: (Illumination) Lighting of wand-tip | | | |
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