Interest is another Latin verb hiding in plain sight. In Latin, it means “it is important,” literally “to be between,” which might help explain its early application in English for legal and business ...

J.K. Rowling's wizarding world in the "Harry Potter" books is not so different from our own. Actual magic aside, there are many real-world inspirations behind her fictional creations. The spell ...

J.K. Rowling used Latin as inspiration for the spells in "Harry Potter." Some translations are very literal; "avis" means "bird." Others are complex. For example "sectumsempra" can be translated to ...