PS/SS:CH3:MEANINGS OF NAMES

• Dennis - "Medieval vernacular form of the Greek name Dionysios". (www.ancestry.com)
• Malcolm - "Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mael Coluim “devotee of St Columba”. Columba, whose name means “dove” in Latin, was a 6th-century monk of Irish origin who played a leading part in the conversion to Christianity of Scotland and northern England" (www.ancestry.com).
• Gordon - "from the Scottish surname, which is derived from a placename. It is a matter of dispute whether it referred originally to the Gordon in Berwickshire or to a similarly named place in Normandy" (www.ancestry.com). We can add "The boy's name Gordon is pronounced GORD-en. It is of Old English and Gaelic origin, and its meaning is 'large fortification.' Also possibly a place name meaning 'hill near meadows' or 'triangular hill.' Name of one of the great Scottish clans." (www.thinkbabynames)
• Smeltings - to "smelt" is to "melt or fuse (ores) in order to separate the metallic constituents. To melt or fuse. Used of ores." (www.dictionary.com) Vernon wants his alma mater to reinforce all the nonesense he's been teaching Dudley. Smeltings would mold Dudley into the man Vernon wants him to be.
• Stonewall High - to "stonewall" means to "1: obstruct or hinder any discussion... 2: engage in delaying tactics or refuse to cooperate" (www.dictionary.com). It can easily be said that the Dursleys' choice of school for Harry shows their attitude towards him and his wizarding aptitude. They want to squash the wizard out of him, and he's not supposed to ask them any questions.
• Isle of Wight - "island county (1991 pop. 126,600), 147 sq mi (381 sq km), S England, across the Solent and Spithead channels from Hampshire. The administrative center is Newport. The island is 23 mi (37 km) long from the eastern Foreland to the Needles (detached chalk formations at the western extremity) and 13 mi (21 km) wide. The Medina, which almost bisects the island, and the East Yar and the West Yar are the chief rivers. Numerous small streams on the southern coast have cut a series of picturesque gullies in the soft rock. The climate is mild, and the scenery, as a result of the contrasting geological strata, is varied. Quaint villages, such as Ventnor, and a beautiful coast line make the island a popular resort. Cowes is an important port. The island was conquered by the Romans in A.D. 43 and probably settled later by the Jutes. It was annexed to the kingdom of Wessex in 661 and Christianized c.700. The Isle of Wight was the headquarters of the Danes at the end of the 10th cent. William I bestowed the lordship of the island upon William Fitz-Osbern. In 1293 it returned permanently to the crown. At Carisbrooke Castle, now in ruins, King Charles I was imprisoned (1647–48). In 1890 the island was established as a separate administrative county. Queen Victoria's seaside home, Osborne House, is near the famous yachting center at Cowes. Parkhurst, a major British maximun security prison, is on the island." (www.reference.com) Also from the same site, "The island geography close to the densely populated south of England led to it gaining three prisons: Albany, Camphill and Parkhurst located outside Newport. Albany and Parkhurst were once among the few Category A prisons in the UK until they were downgraded in the 1990s. Parkhurst especially enjoyed notoriety as one of toughest jails in the British Isles and "hosted" many notable inmates, including the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and the Kray twins."
• Little Whinging - to "whinge" is to "whine". It can also be spelled "Winje". Perhaps a little whinging is whining about little, petty things. Or perhaps it's that the inhabitants have little to whine about. http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19970909 says to whinge is "to complain in a peevish manner".
• Surrey - Sure, it's a county in southeast England, but it's also "A four-wheeled horse-drawn pleasure carriage having two or four seats" (www.dictionary.com).
• Railview Hotel - There is a Railview Hotel (and Hotel Railview) in India. "The Railview Hotel is a government-approved 2-Star Hotel. It is located Opposite Kollam railway station The hotel has one bar and one restaurant serving indian, chinese, tandoor, continental cuisines.The Railview Hotel has a total of 23 rooms. Hotel and room amenities include TV with 55 channels, STD/ISD at P&T rates, Internet and Email, Ample car parking space, Boating to tourist places, Sight seeing to tourist places etc..." (www.cruisingindia.com) Two stars sounds about right for our Railview Hotel in Cokeworth. I wonder if Jo has ever stayed at the Railview Hotel in Kollam, India.... There is also a Railway Hotel in Ghana. It's rating is listed simply as "budget". There is no list of amenities.... Even the non-existant hotel in Cokeworth is nicer than that....
• Cokeworth - I wasn't sure what JKR was going for until I looked at the French translation. In the French version the town is called Carbone-les-mines. And then I remembered, coke is a carbon residue, specifically "The solid residue of impure carbon obtained from bituminous coal and other carbonaceous materials after removal of volatile material by destructive distillation. It is used as a fuel and in making steel." (www.dictionary.com) JKR constantly compares the Dursleys to the base metals. This is yet another reference to Alchemy, the alchemical process, and how the Dursleys will never be more than they are now because they refuse to change.
• The Great Humberto - This is apparently supposed to be some magician Dudley's fond of watching...ironic considering he has the real thing living in his house.... the name Humberto is related to Hubert and Humbert. "The boy's name Hubert is pronounced HEW-bert. It is of Old German origin, and its meaning is 'bright or shining intellect'." (www.thinkbabynames.com) Also from this website, "The boy's name Humbert is of Old German origin, and its meaning is 'famous giant; renowned warrior.' Made famous by the narrator of Vladimir Nabokov's 'Lolita', Humbert Humbert. The Spanish variant Humberto (oom-BARE-toh) is also a saint's name."