PS/SS:CH2:MEANINGS OF NAMES

Finally! I'm adding posts for Chapter 2 of PS/SS!

• Arabella -- (We now know that Mrs. Figg's full name is Arabella Doreen Figg, so I'll go ahead and define her full name, not just "Figg".) From Latin orabilis meaning "yeilding to pray" or "invokable" suggesting a saint that could be invoked.
• Doreen -- From Dora, from Greek doron meaning "gift". Might also be derived from Dora <--Dorothy (or Dorothea, "gift of god") <-- Devorgilla/Diorbhvail meaning "true testimony". A variant is Dorean, coming from Doireann, "daughter of Finn" or "daughter of the white/fair". Finn MacCumaill was a hero in Irish myth...known for wisdom and fairness.
• Figg -- apparently this just refers to someone who lived near figs or sold figs. It's from Old French figue, from Latin ficus. Some say the fig tree was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, instead of the apple. Ancient Hebrews viwed the fig tree as a symbol of peace and plenty. The fig tree has devoloped the symbolic meaning of divination, fertility, and love. Figwort is an herb, having the symbolic meaning of health and protection. So, what does all this say about Mrs. Figg? Well, she does seem to be a person Harry can rely on...can ask for help. She also gave important testimony at his trial after the dementor attack. The last name seems to have less to do with her importance to the plot than her given names, but maybe it's just to strengthen her role as a protector.
• Tibbles -- One of Mrs. Figg's "cats". It's a variant of Tibbals, from the midieval names Tebald and Tibalt, from Theobald, apparently meaning "bold race" or "bold people". Is this the cat called Mistigri in the French translation? Mistigri is a version of poker (the card game) in which the joker is used. Here the joker is called mistigri or mistigris, which actually means "pussycat". Tigri means "tiger", so mistigri would possibly be diminutive, like "little tiger", and the cat might be striped like a tiger... a tabby cat. There also is a fuscia-colored variety of rose called Mistigri, but I'm not sure if this references a cat or a joker....
• Snowy -- In the French translation, Snowy is called Patounet, which could be a portmanteau of "pas tous net" meaning "not very clear" or "not very distinct", so perhaps it's "fuzzy", like the white and black flecks we call "snow" on the TV when we flip to a station without a signal.... However, Patounet is a common nickname in French-speaking parts of the world and appears to be a pet name for Patrick. It's even the name of a store that sells swimwear in France... maybe because of a famous swimwear designer named Jean Patou. A type of dog, the Great Pyrenees, is also called Patou. Patou is from pastou, derived from the Old French pastre, meaning "Shepherd". These are mostly snow-white colored dogs (they have a bit of black fur on the neck) that live with the sheep herd and treat them as family. They often act as scouts as the herd moves around to graze. Perhaps JKR is saying Snowy is particularly good as a protector and scout, which works well with the fact Mrs. Figg raises cat/kneazle hybrids.
• Tufty -- the adjective form of tuft. The French translation of Tufty became Mignonette, a woody herb that has dense, yet delicate-looking flower heads that smell quite spicy... possibly references to lace or coarse-ground pepper. These names suggest dense fur with a speckled pattern. This cat might also be a bit diminutive in size and affectionate. The relations to tuft and lace add Tufty/Mignonette to the running bits about knitting, knots, spinning, and patterns. www.reference.com says a variety of mignonette is used for yellow dye, and another variety's essential oils are used for perfumes.
• Mr. Paws -- I wonder if this is a case of homonyms. Paws --> pause? Or is this a suggestion that Mr. Paws is clumsy (paw being an informal term for a large and clumsy hand)? Is it a reference to pawing something... attacking...treating something rudely, clumsily or with too much familiarity? Paw can also mean "mischievous". It's also a variant of pa, meaning "father". We also have the phrase "cat's paw"... a type of knot... a nebula in Scorpius...a pawn, puppet, or tool...and an instrument of torture. I think the French translation calls this cat Pompon, which would be what we often call a pompom, like the kind used by cheerleaders. This would make him a fluffy ball of fur. Perhaps he looks harmless but is a force to be reckoned with... or vise versa.
• Marge/Marjorie -- Vernon's sister. It's ultimately from Hebrew margaron meaning "pearl".
• Yvonne -- Petunia's friend. Feminine form of Yves, meaning "yew"!
• Piers -- Dudley's best friend. From Peter meaning "stone" or "rock". A common variant is Pierce. Also, we can look at pier, which is basically a support or reinforcement structure, like a buttress or span of wall between windows...or a place to dock a boat.
• Polkiss -- Polk comes from Gaelic poll, meaning "pool"or "pit". Kiss, as a surname, comes from Hungarian kis meaning "small", as in small stature. Remember that Piers Polkiss is a small kid who probably just holds victims for Dudley to beat up....
• Majorca -- The largest island of the Balearic Islands. It's biggest industry is tourism.