Numerology and Grammatica
| Simplified Chinese (Mandarin: China) | ||
| 数字学和语法学 Shùzì-xué hé yǔfǎ-xué 数字占卜与图形 Shùzì-zhànbǔ yǔ túxíng |
数字学
shùzì-xué = 'numeral + -ology'. 和 hé = 'and'. 语法学 yǔfǎ-xué = 'grammar + ology'. 数字占卜 shùzì-zhànbǔ = 'numeral + divining'. 与 yǔ = 'and' (written). 图形 túxíng = 'diagrams, pictures'. |
Numerology and Grammar-ology Numeral Divining and Diagrams |
| Traditional Chinese (Mandarin: Taiwan) | ||
| 命理與測字 Mìnglǐ yǔ cèzì |
命理
mìnglǐ = 'principle of fate'. 與 yǔ = 'and' (written). 測字 cèzì = 'fortune-telling by analysing the parts of Chinese characters (glyphomancy)'. |
Principles of Fate and Glyphomancy |
| Japanese | ||
| 数秘学と文法学 Sūmitsu-gaku to bunpō-gaku |
数秘学
sūmitsu-gaku = 'number-secret-ology'. と to = 'and'. 文法学 bunpō-gaku = 'grammar-ology'. |
Secret-numerology and Grammar-ology |
| Vietnamese (Chinese characters show etymology) | ||
| Thuật Số Và Ngữ Pháp Lượng Số Học Và Ngữ Pháp |
thuật số
(術數) =
'art/technique of numbers' = divination'. và = 'and'. ngữ pháp (語法) = 'grammar'. lượng số học (量數學) = 'study of quantities'. |
Divination and Grammar Study of Quantities and Grammar |
Subjects of Western Magic
Rowling appears to have put these two subjects in the same title because one refers to 'numbers' and the other to 'words and language'. In fact, they relate to totally different things.
Numerology purports to divine a person's fate from numbers — for instance, by using the date of a person's birthday to foretell their future.
Grammatica is nothing more than the study of grammar, although to the ancients it was an essential subject of higher learning.
Numerology - Grammatica
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At first mention, the Mainland Chinese translator follows the English fairly literally, using the suffix 学 -xué
('study of, -ology') to convey an academic tone. But the content of the two
'ologies' is simply 'numbers' (数字
shùzì) and 'grammar' (语法 yǔfǎ).
In Book 7, the Mainland translators change numerology to the more accurate 数字占卜 shùzì-zhànbǔ 'divining by numbers' (which is an advance), but grammatica somewhat inexplicably changes into 图形 túxíng 'diagrams or pictures'.
The Japanese translator adopts a similar strategy, using the same suffix 学 -gaku. 'Numerology' goes by the dictionary translation: the study of the secrets of numbers (数秘学 sūmitsu-gaku). 'Grammatica' is the study of grammar (文法学 bunpō-gaku).
The Taiwanese translator adopts the most interesting solution by substituting two Chinese subjects related to the study of personal fate. 命理 mìnglǐ refers to the 'principles of fate'. 測字 cèzì is a traditional Chinese method of fortune-telling by analysing the parts and number of strokes in Chinese characters used in personal names. (If the fortune-teller should find that the combination of characters, number of strokes, etc. is unlucky, then you should think of changing the characters used or even change your name). Of course, the Taiwanese title sacrifices grammatology, but the loss is not great.
The Vietnamese translator uses thuật số, meaning 'divination'. It is related to the Chinese term 術數 shùshù, which is a cover term for traditional methods of divination such as 命理 mìnglǐ and 測字 cèzì above. At Book 7 the term is translated as the 'study of quantities' (lượng số học). 'Grammatica' is translated at both places as 'grammar' (ngữ pháp).
Category: Divination
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