Chapter 5: Diagon Alley

Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China)
对角巷 Duìjiǎo-xiàng	对角 duìjiǎo = 'diagonal'. 巷 xiàng = 'alley'.	Diagonal Alley
Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan)
斜角巷 Xiéjiǎo-xiàng	斜角 xiéjiǎo = 'oblique angle'. 巷 xiàng = 'alley'.	Oblique Angle Alley
Japanese
ダイアゴン横町 Daiagon yokochō	ダイアゴン Daiagon = 'Diagon'. 横町 yokochō = 'alley'.	Diagon Alley
Korean
다이애건 앨리 Daiaegeon aelli	다이애건 Dai-ae-geon = 'Diagon'. 앨리 aelli = 'alley'.	Diagon Alley
Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology)
Hẻm xéo	hẻm = 'alley'. xéo = 'oblique/slanting'.	Oblique Alley
Mongolian (previous)
Ташуу гудамж Tashuu gydamj	ташуу tashuu = 'oblique, slanting, sloping'. гудамж gudamj = 'street, alley, lane'.	Slanting Street
Mongolian (new)
Диагон гудамж Diagon gudamj	Диагон Diagon = 'Diagon'. гудамж gudamj = 'street, alley, lane'.	Diagon Street
⇚ Chapter 4		Chapter 6 ⇛

'Diagon Alley' is a backstreet, hidden from Muggles' eyes, where magical shops are found. In English, the name of the alley is a pun: 'diagon alley = 'diagonally'. (For more information, see the section on Word play: Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.)

How is 'Diagon' translated?

Four translations try to reproduce the pun in 'diagon':

• The Mainland Chinese translation uses 对角 duìjiǎo, a geometrical term for the diagonal or opposite angle. This is the closest geometrical equivalent to 'diagonal' in English.
  
  
• The Taiwanese translator uses 斜角 xiéjiǎo 'oblique angle', referring to any angle that is not a right angle.
  
  
• The Vietnamese translator uses xéo, a dialect term meaning 'oblique', 'slanting' or 'sidelong'.
  
  
• The previous Mongolian translation uses ташуу tashuu meaning 'oblique', 'slanting', or 'sloping'.

Three translations simply give a phonetic rendition of 'Diagon'.

• The Japanese version gives the pronunciation of the name in English, Die-a-gon, which means nothing in Japanese and loses the pun on 'diagonally'.
  
  
• The Korean translation similarly transliterates 'Diagon' into 다이애건 Dai-ae-geon, pronounced in a similar way to English Die-a-gon.
  
  
• The new Mongolian translation uses Диагон Diagon, (in the European and Russian manner pronounced Dee-a-gon), losing the pun captured in the earlier translation.

How is 'alley' translated?

All translators except the Korean present 'Diagon Alley' as a small side street.

• The Chinese-language translators use 巷 xiàng, the most neutral term for a small alley in a city. (Local terms like hutong (胡同 hútong) in Beijing have been avoided.)
  
  
• The Japanese uses 横町 yokochō (also written 横丁 yokochō), a term for a small side street that comes off a main street.
  
  
• The Vietnamese term hẻm is used for an alley, lane, or dead end.
  
  
• The term used in both Mongolian translations is гудамж gudamj, traditionally used for a lane, alley, or side street. However, in Ulaanbaatar гудамж gudamj now tends to be broadly applied to city streets, not only side streets or back streets.
  
  
• Unlike the other translators, the Korean translator transliterates the English word 'alley' in phonetic form as 앨리 aelli. The normal Korean term for an alley is 골목 golmog (e.g., 뒷골목 dwis-golmog 'backstreet'.

(Korean appears thanks to "Hiro".)

(Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon)

⇚ Chapter 4

Chapter 6 ⇛