Readers of the blog will be glad to know I have now seen the final episode of the Harry Potter series, which was absolutely amazing and well worth the wait (and the sobs).

Leaving the cinema, I felt slightly bereft – as if a really good friend had moved away. For the millions of Potter fans across the world, the people and places of JK Rowling’s incredible books have become like friends and we have mourned the loss of favourite characters (Dobby!) and celebrated the victories of others.

Like Tolkien before her, JK Rowlings invented many words and names which helped to bring her magical world to life, and some of these have found their way into everyday speech (well, perhaps not every day…). The word ‘muggle’ has even made it into the dictionary (definition: a person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill). Some of the words and names are completely Rowling’s own, where others come from mythology, Latin (how could a spell be anything else?) or combinations and blends. Take a look at this fantastic blog from the Oxford English Dictionary for a fascinating look at the background of names, spells and places featured.

Right, now time to re-read the books!