Updated Feb 8 2004
Philology, as in Philological.
Neville mistakenly called the Philosopher�s Stone, the Philological Stone in Book 5 while bragging about Harry�s accomplishments.
This word refers to a �love of learning� or a �fondness of words� This is something that JKR has, considering she likes to use clever words and puns to trick us and to hide lots of interesting clues. But in the American Version, since Scholastic changed it to �Sorcerer�s Stone� to make it sound more exciting, it was changed to �sorcerous stone� Stupid Scholastic. Considering that the idea of a Philosopher�s Stone is a very real medieval concept, Scholastic really cheated a lot of HP readers.
Privet,
as in �Privet Drive�, where the Durseley�s life,
(from dictionary.com)Any of several shrubs of the genus Ligustrum, especially L. vulgare or L. ovalifolium, having opposite leaves and clusters of white flowers and widely used for hedges.
1. Any of several similar or related plants
Hmmm, notice that a lot of the streets are named for flowers? Along with a lot of the people who live there. Very intresting.
Wisteria,
as in �Wisteria Walk�, one of the street names,
Wisteria is a type of plant, as explained in Dictionary.com, �Any of several climbing woody vines of the genus Wisteria in the pea family, having pinnately compound leaves and drooping racemes of showy purplish or white flowers. Named for Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), American physician.�
Curious about who Caspar Wistar was, I looked him up, here is some of the most important basic info to know about him.
(Copied from the website, http://daphne.palomar.edu/marguello/sum02/Hist101/HENLEY074/caspar_wistar.htm)
Caspar Wistar , was a prominent American physician and man of learning. He wrote the first American textbook on anatomy, A System of Anatomy (2 vols., 1811, 1814). Wistar had many progressive ideas and was an early advocate of vaccinations against disease. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 he nearly lost his life after being stricken by the disease while caring tirelessly for others. In his role as teacher Wistar developed a number of unique teaching aids, some of which were life-sized anatomical models made of dried and wax-injected human limbs and organs. he was widely respected not only for his medical knowledge, but also for his general breadth of knowledge, which included the humanities as well as the sciences. His chief scientific interests outside of medicine were paleontology and botany. He was also particularly known for his hospitality, and his home was the weekly meeting place of students and scientists. These so-called "Wistar parties" were so popular that they continued to be given even after his death. The plant genus Wisteria, described by the botanist Thomas Nutall, was named in his honor.
Sybolism of Different Flowers,
There is a lot of different flowers used as names in HP. Almost every flower has some sort of syboloic meaning.
Some great web links to look up meanings of different flowers are
The Meanings of Most Flowers, http://www.800florals.com/care/meaning.asp
USABride.com�s The Meaning of Flowers, (a very long and detailed list) http://www.usabride.com/wedplan/a_flowers_meaning.html
Here are some meanings that I found:
Petunias, (Aunt Pentunia): Resentment, Anger, Your Presence Sooths Me
Poppies, (the first name of Hogwart�s school nurse who always makes her patients rest or sleep) - Eternal Sleep, Oblivion, Imagination (very intresting, very clever of JKR)
Myrtle, (Moaning Myrtle) Love, Hebrew Emblem of Marriage
NARCISSUS (a variation of Narcissa, Malfoy�s wife) - Egotism, Formality (words that would describe the life of a Malfoy)
MAGNOLIA (a street name)- Nobility
MANDRAKE (this is a real plant?) I wound to soothe (mandrakes can bring people who been petrified to their original state but they also can put you to sleep)
I also think that Dumbledore�s brother, Aberforth, is the baretneder is the Hog�s Head. Think about it: Harry said it smelled like goats, and Aberforth was in trouble for experimenting on goats. Maybe Aberforth was also spying on Harry!