Chapter 10: The House of Gaunt

Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China)
冈特老宅 Gāngtè lǎo zhái	冈特 Gāngtè = 'Gaunt (phonetic)'. 老宅 lǎo zhái = 'old dwelling'.	The old house of Gaunt
Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan)
剛特的家 Gāngtè de jiā	剛特 Gāngtè = 'Gaunt (phonetic)'. 的 de = connecting particle 家 jiā = 'family'.	The Gaunt family
Japanese
ゴーントの家 Gōnto no ie	ゴーント Gōnto = 'Gaunt (phonetic)' の no = connecting particle 家 ie = 'house'.	The House of Gaunt
Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology)
Ngôi nhà của Gaunt	ngôi nhà = 'a house'. của = 'belonging to'. Gaunt = 'Gaunt'.	The Gaunt's house

The House of Gaunt sounds like a family lineage with a mansion to its name in a similar way to the House of Black (although the name 'Gaunt', being the same as the word 'gaunt', suggests something less magnificent). In fact, the last survivors of this proud lineage lived in a hovel.

'Gaunt' is transliterated the same way in the Mainland and Taiwanese translations, 冈特 / 剛特 Gāngtè.

The problem is the translation of the word 'house'. In its most basic usage, a house simply refers to a building that serves as living quarters for a family or families. But when it occurs in the form 'House of + Family Name', the word 'house' generally refers to a family, including ancestors, descendants, and kindred. The expression has a distinguished feel to it and is often used of nobility or royalty ('the house of Tudor'). It does not refer to a physical house or building.

In this case, the Mainland translator uses the simple expression 老宅 lǎo zhái, 'old residence' to translate 'house'. 老 lǎo indicates that the house has a history, not that it is old and decrepit. The Taiwanese translator uses the word 家 jiā meaning 'family'. The Vietnamese translator uses the word ngôi nhà meaning 'house (a building)'. Japanese uses 家 ie, which can refer either to a physical home or a family lineage.

Contrast this with the way 'house' is translated in the 'House of Black' at Book 5 Chapter 6, which similarly refers to an ancient lineage, and the 'Riddle House' at Book 4 Chapter 1, which is just a physical house.

	Riddle House	House of Black	House of Gaunt
Simplified Chinese (China)	府 fǔ 'mansion'	家族 jiāzú 'family'	老宅 lǎo zhái 'old residence'
Traditional Chinese (Taiwan)	屋 wū 'house, building'	老宅 lǎo zhái 'old residence'	家 jiā 'family'
Japanese	館 yakata 'mansion'	家 -ke 'family, lineage'	家 ie 'house, household'
Vietnamese	ngôi nhà 'house'	dòng họ 'family, lineage'	ngôi nhà 'house'

The translators have stumbled with this usage at some stage. The Mainland and Vietnamese translators err on the side of a physical house at this chapter title. The Taiwanese translator did so at The House of Black.

(Detailed notes on the chapter can be found at Harry Potter Lexicon. This chapter features the ditty Hissy, hissy, little snakey.)

⇚ Chapter 9

Chapter 11 ⇛