Chapter 7: The Boggart in the Wardrobe

 

(For the romanisation of Chinese and Japanese, see Transliteration. To understand the writing systems of CJV, see Writing Systems. For word order notes, see Word Order)

Where a Vietnamese word has been borrowed from Chinese, the original Chinese character is shown in parentheses.

 

Chinese (Mainland)	衣柜里的博格特 Yīguì-lǐ de bógétè	衣柜 yīguì = 'clothes + cupboard' = 'wardrobe'. 里 lǐ = 'inside'. 的 de = connecting particle 博格特 bógétè = 'boggart'.	The boggart in the wardrobe
Chinese (Taiwan)	衣柜裡的幻形怪 Yīguì-lǐ de huàn-xíng-guài	衣柜 yīguì = 'clothes + cupboard' = 'wardrobe'. 裡 lǐ = 'inside'. 的 de = connecting particle 幻 huàn = 'magical, changeable, illusory'. 形 xíng = 'shape, form'. 怪 guài = 'monster, demon'.	The illusory-shape-demon in the wardrobe
Japanese	洋箪笥のまね妖怪 Yō-dansu no mane-yōkai	洋 yō = 'Western-style'. 箪笥 tansu = 'chest of drawers, cabinet'. (Together, yō-dansu = 'wardrobe') の no = connecting particle まね mane = 'imitation' (まねる maneru = 'to imitate, copy'). 妖怪 yōkai = 'ghost, spectre, monster'.	The imitating-ghost in the wardrobe
Vietnamese	Ông kẹ trong tủ áo	ông kẹ = 'ogre'. trong = 'in'. tủ áo = 'wardrobe'. (tủ = 'cupboard', áo = 'clothing').	The ogre in the wardrobe

The Boggart is a creature that tries to terrify people by taking the form of what they are most afraid of. Boggarts existed in north English folklore as malicious household spirits of the nature of a poltergeist (see Encyclopedia Mythica, Mysterious Britain Gazeteer, Wikipedia). They are dark and hairy and in Susan Cooper's books, at least, are regarded as shape-shifters. However, their habit of taking on the form of what you most fear appears to be Rowling's ingenious addition.

The Mainland Chinese translation renders the pronunciation as 博格特 bógétè, which doesn't have much meaning (博 bó means 'rich, abundant, gamble, win'; 格 gé means 'squares, divisions, standards, fight, etc.'; 特 tè means 'special').

The Taiwanese version coins the term 幻形怪 huàn-xíng-guài 'illusory shape demon'. This is a variation on the existing word 變形怪 biàn-xíng-guài 'change shape demon' or 'shape shifter' (thanks to a visitor for pointing this out).

The Japanese word まね妖怪 mane-yōkai ('imitating-ghost') is a coined expression referring to the Boggart's habit of 'imitating' what the observer is afraid of.

The Vietnamese simply uses the word ông kẹ, 'ogre'.

(A summary of this chapter can be found at Harry Potter Facts. Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon)

Chapter 6

Chapter 8