Does J.K. Rowling speak LATIN?

She knew enough about Latin words to be able to use them as spells in the book.

Obviously Rowling was a fan of Latin language and classical literature.

This was researched by a librarian.

Probably doesn't SPEAK it per se, but any writer loves language enough to know where words come from and how to use that knowledge. For example, just using myself -- I majored in English, and one of my upper division classes was "History of English" (the language). I could already speak passable Spanish, and knew a little (TINY) bit of German, French, Greek, Latin, and Gaelic (but really not enough Gaelic to even order a beer -- lol). Now, in that class, looking at all the places our English language comes from, it is easy for me to find roots and bases for almost every English word that has a base in another language. So, using and knowing the English language as well as any writer has to would lead a lot of people to believe that he or she may speak a different one. Maybe she does, who knows?

J. K. Rowling probably doesn't speak Latin, but she's studied it. Luminous is also obviously Latin as well as Leviosa. (Levitate).

Most of the people out there who are hollaring about witchcraft and devil worship have never studied Latin which was once the language of the church and still is the language of science.

She probably has some familiarity with it as I believe she did language arts at high school and graduated in French at Exeter University. Traditionally ,spells and formulae used in witchcraft and alchemy were often in Latin as in mediaeval times Latin was the lingua franca of learning and of the Church.

At the time she went to school, Latin was probably a requirement. I'm not sure, but it may still be in many British schools.

Well, she didn't speak it, per se as Latin's a dead language, but I believe she had a few years under her belt. I think it might be standard curriculum in Great Britain.

No she doesn't, you can tell by the tense forms of the words that she took artistic license with the language. It should be obvious that she had some knowledge or research into the language.

Like all authors, she does her research and has access to Latin vocabulary information as well as researchers who work with her. She chose her words carefully when she named things. Pax- C

no pygmy