History SignificantAnagram / HarryPotter

** In Russian: "Том Нарволо Реддл" <-> ''"Лорд Волан-де-Морт''" (Tom Narvolo Reddl <-> ''Lord Volan-de-Mort''). In that case translating "Voldemort" as "Volan-de-Mort" (probably, to associate his name with Voland from Master and Margarita) actually helped to translate the anagram - translators had to only change one letter (Marvolo to Narvolo).

** Severus Snape anagrams to "Persues Evans", referencing [[spoiler:his aborted relationship with Lily Evans]]. [[note]]"persue" is an obsolete spelling (in modern English it's "pursue"), but then again, the series does sometimes use archaic spellings for effect[[/note]]

** Though it takes a misspelling, Severus Snape anagrams to "Persues Evans", referencing [[spoiler:his aborted relationship with Lily Evans]].

** For example, in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor <-> ''Je suis Voldemort''. "Jedusor" sounds like ''jeu du sort'', i.e. "Game of chance/fate/spell" -- and [[ElvisLives Elvis is not really dead]].

** The Danish translation is one of the few that doesn't keep his first name as Tom, initially translating his name into "Romeo G. Detlev Jr."�"jeg er Voldemort". Later, it's revealed that "G" stands for "Gåde" which means "riddle" so at least they got that part right. They do keep his father's name as Tom, though, and explains that Merope used to call Tom Riddle her "Romeo". Detlev is a variant of "Ditlev", a Danish boy's name. (Which also just happens to be the Danish version of "Dudley".)

** In Hungarian: Tom Rowle Denem becomes "Nevem Voldemort", or "My name is Voldemort", with the 'w' in Rowle splitting into two 'v's. While Denem at fist glance is a random made-up name, it likewise gets meaningful when split in two. "Tom, de nem" means "Tom, but not", so there is a literal riddle in his name.

** In the Greek translation: Άντον Μόρβολ Χέρτ <-> ''Άρχων Βόλντεμορτ'' (Anton Morvol Hert <-> ''Archon Voldemort''). "Anton" doesn't have any particular significance nor does "Hert," giving the impression that they were just made up out of the spare letters. "Archon" is an archaic word meaning "ruler" or "lord" (the root of words like ''anarchy'') though the translated text otherwise uses the more commonly used word for "lord" (''Λόρδος'', ''Lórdos''). It's noteworthy that they messed up the anagram, even so. The Greek alphabet has two forms of O, omikron (o) and omega (ω), and one of the omikrons apparently transforms into an omega during the switch.

** In the Greek translation: Άντον Μόρβολ Χέρτ <-> ''Άρχων Βόλντεμορτ'' (Anton Morvol Hert <-> ''Archon Voldemort''). "Anton" doesn't have any particular significance nor does "Hert," giving the impression that they were just made up out of the spare letters. "Archon," in case you're wondering, is an archaic word meaning "ruler" or "lord", though the term ''Λόρδος'', the more commonly used word for "lord", is used throughout the rest of the translated text. It's noteworthy that they messed up the anagram, even so. The Greek alphabet has two forms of O, omikron (o) and omega (ω), and one of the omikrons apparently transforms into an omega during the switch.
** In Turkish the translators just added a "d" to Marvolo, turning the name into "Tom Marvoldo Riddle", so that the anagram could simply be "Adım Lord Voldemort", which means "My name is Lord Voldemort" in Turkish.

** In the Greek translation: Άντον Μόρβολ Χέρτ <-> ''Άρχων Βόλντεμορτ'' (Anton Morvol Hert <-> ''Archon Voldemort''). "Anton" doesn't have any particular significance nor does "Hert," giving the impression that they were just made up out of the spare letters. "Archon," in case you're wondering, is an archaic word meaning "ruler" or "lord", though the term ''Λόρδος'', the more commonly used word for "lord", is used throughout the rest of the translated text. It's noteworthy that they messed up the anagram, even so. The greek alphabet has two forms of O, omikron (o) and omega (ω), and one of the omikrons apparently transforms into an omega during the switch.

** For example, in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor <-> ''Je suis Voldemort''. "Jedusor" sounds like ''jeu du sort'', i.e. "Game of chance/fate/spell" -- and Elvis is [[OnlyMostlyDead not really dead]].

** The Swedish translation utilizes Latin for the anagram: Tom Gus Mervolo Dolder -> Ego Sum Lord Voldemort (I am Lord Voldemort). "Dold" means "hidden", in analogy with the orginal name. "Dolder" would be a incorrect word for "Hider" (Which actually is "Döljare")

* This created a meta-text flurry during the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince sixth book]], when a locket with a note signed by "R.A.B." became important to the plot. One of the first guesses on this mystery character's identity was [[spoiler:Sirius Black's brother Regulus]]. Those who read the books in foreign languages noticed that whatever [[spoiler:Sirius's]] surname was changed to (i.e., that language's word for [[spoiler:"black"]]), R.A.B's last initial had followed suit. The translators allegedly had to figure this out for themselves.
** The Chinese translation made do with a footnote (as always).

** Romilda Vane rearranges to "Love in a Dram", nicely {{Foreshadowing}} the event in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' where she spikes some chocolates with love potion ("dram" meaning "a small amount of strong alcohol or poison", or in this case, potion).
** "Ollivander's" can rearrange to "Ronald Lives" or "Ronald's Evil" - while the second is blatantly not true, the first indeed is. It could also (assuming it's not a coincidence) be a clue to a certain scene in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', when Harry finds Ron lying dead on the floor of a room in the Weasley house and panics - before remembering that Ron is actually downstairs, and the "Ron" he's looking at is really a Boggart that Mrs Weasley is trying to deal with.

** In German: Tom Vorlost Riddle <-> ''Ist Lord Voldemort'', which means not "I am Lord Voldemort" but "Is Lord Voldemort." Sounds rather meaningless at first, but when both are said/showed in succession(which is exactly how the revelation happens), it becomes "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort".

* This created a meta-text flurry during the sixth book, when a locket with a note signed by "R.A.B." became important to the plot. One of the first guesses on this mystery character's identity was [[spoiler:Sirius Black's brother Regulus]]. Those who read the books in foreign languages noticed that whatever [[spoiler:Sirius's]] surname was changed to (i.e., that language's word for [[spoiler:"black"]]), R.A.B's last initial had followed suit. The translators allegedly had to figure this out for themselves.

** For example, in French: Tom Elvis Jedusor <-> ''Je suis Voldemort''. "Jedusor" sounds like ''jeu de sort'', meaning "gamble" or "lottery" -- and Elvis is [[OnlyMostlyDead not really dead]].