LONDON – Yep, that's right: it's been over 18 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published, and despite the fact that we've ploughed our way through seven books and eight films in the intervening years, we still can't agree on how to pronounce the main antagonist's name.
The debate kicked off Wednesday night, after Rowling confirmed the following piece of trivia from a fan.
@Universe_Box One piece of Harry Potter trivia I always forget to mention: the "t" is silent in Voldemort, according to @jk_rowling.— Michael Lucero (@mhenrylucero) September 9, 2015
... but I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who pronounces it that way. https://t.co/HxhJ5XY5HP— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 9, 2015
As you'd expect, people on Twitter had some fairly strong reactions to the news.
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box oh shit— NΛTY (@liamaliks) September 9, 2015
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box I've pronounced it with a T all my life. I am so sorry, Jo.— Ardit Haliti (@ardit_haliti) September 9, 2015
@jk_rowling my whole life is a lie— HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) September 9, 2015
At this point, the debate blew wide open.
Rowling received support from her French fans.
@jk_rowling No you're not ;) The whole France is too !— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) September 9, 2015
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box it's because it's French for "flight of death" so the t should be silent #MiniFrenchLessons— Hi. (@itsgurrett) September 9, 2015
While others remained confused.
@jk_rowling any reason why the pronunciation wasn't corrected for the films?— Nicola (@_ophelia) September 9, 2015
At one point the Dark Lord himself even chipped in, referencing a tweet he'd sent out back in 2010.
@jk_rowling Muggles never listen https://t.co/at5koM4Wsq— The Dark Lord (@Lord_Voldemort7) September 10, 2015
This is the tweet he's referring to...
Yo my names Voldemort & the t is silent, but don't say my name or imma get violent. #FreestyleFriday— The Dark Lord (@Lord_Voldemort7) August 13, 2010
Then people started mentioning Jim Dale, who became well known in the U.S. for voicing the Harry Potter audiobooks.
@jk_rowling You and the wonderful Jim Dale (in the first two, anyway).— sonia Q. verma (@sQverma) September 9, 2015
@sQverma @jk_rowling I was going to mention Jim Dale too. I noticed he started pronouncing the T after the first movie was released.— Nick Xylas (@nxylas) September 9, 2015
So it seems as though the original pronunciation of Voldemort's name was always intended to be without the "t," but somewhere along the line the films started pronouncing it differently and the original pronunciation got lost.
Will the post-Harry Potter era revelations ever stop coming?
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