The spells used in the world of Harry Potter aren't just mere gibberish. Most of them are derived from actual words. So here's a quick list of spells used:
- Accio
- Summons an object towards the caster over a distance. Accio is supposedly Latin for "I come/summon"
- Aguamenti
- Producers a water jet from the wand. Derived from aqua(water) and augmenti(augment, increase)
- Alohomora
- Opens and/or unlocked non-enchanted doors. In the West African Sidiki dialect, literally means "Friendly to thieves".
- Anapneo
- Clears target's airway if choking. Greek for "to draw breath / revive".
- Aparecium
- Makes invisible ink appear. Latin = "to become visible / appear"
- Avada Kedavra
- Instant painless death. Probably derived from the famous abracadabra("let the thing be destroyed", the 'thing' usually being an illness).
- Avis
- Latin for bird, so obviously summons a flock of birds
- Bombarda
- Creates an explosion. Latin = "a cannon". Bombarda Maxima = stronger version of initial spell.
- Cave Iminicum
- Strengthens enclosures against enemies. Latin = "Beware the enemy"
- Colloportus
- Magically locks a door, counters Alohomora. Greek word kollao("to bind closely") + Latin word porta("a gate")
- Confringo
- Makes target explode in flames. Latin = "to bring to naught"
- Confundo
- Confuses the victim. Latin = "to confuse"
- Crucio
- Inflicts unbearable pain on victim. Latin = "I torture"
- Defodio
- Carve/dig out materials. Latin = "to dig out"
- Deletrius
- Removes evidence of previously cast spells, kinda like "Clear Casting History". Latin delere = "to destroy", which is where the word "delete" comes from.
- Densaugeo
- Cause abnormal growth of target's teeth. Latin dens("tooth") + augeo("to enlarge")
- Deprimo
- Summons a powerful wind that loosens/softens a variety of things, also can detach things. Latin = "dig deep"
- Descendo
- Makes things sink / go down. Latin = "to come down / descend"
- Diffindo
- Cuts/rips things. Latin = "I divide"
- Duro
- Hardens objects. Latin = "I make hard"
- Engorgio
- Makes objects swell in size. English "engorge" = "to fill in excess"
- Erecto
- Erects objects. Latin erectus = "upright/erect"
- Evanesco
- Makes target vanish. Latin = "to vanish"
- Expecto Patronum
- Conjures a protector in the form of an animal that's significant to the caster. Latin = "I await a protector"
- Expelliarmus
- Disarms another wizard/witch, sometimes can even throw the target back or deflect the target's spell. Latin expellere("to expel / thrust away") + arma("weapons of war")
- Expulso
- Causes an object to explode, the force depends on the intent of the caster. Latin = "to drive out / expel / force out/ banish"
- Ferula
- Creates a bandage and splint. Latin = "a stick"
- Finite Incantatem
- Negates many spells or spell effects. Latin finio("to put an end to") + cantio("enchantment")
- Flagrate
- Casts fiery marks. Latin flagro = "glowing"
- Furnunculus
- English for "boil", so the spell covers the target in disgusting boils
- Gemino
- Creates temporary duplicates of target object, magical properties not copied. Latin = "to double"
- Glisseo
- Causes stairway steps to flatten and form a ramp. French glisser = "slide"
- Homenum Revelio
- Reveals humans near caster. Latin homo/hominis( "person") + revelo("to unveil")
- Impedimenta
- Impedes target's progress towards caster by various means. Latin impedimentum (plural impedimenta) = "a hindrance / an impediment"
- Imperio
- Causes the victim to obey commands of the caster. Latin Imperare
- Impervius
- Makes target impervious to substances and outside forces. Latin = "impassable"
- Incarcerous
- Ties target with ropes. English "incarcerate" = "to imprison/confine"
- Incendio
- Produces fire. Latin incendo = "to burn / set fire"
- Langlock
- Glues victim's tongue to roof of mouth. Latin lingua("language/tongue") + English "lock"
- Legilimens
- Allows caster to delve into victim's mind, allowing access to thought/feelings/memories. Latin legeres("to read") + mens("mind")
- Levicorpus
- Dangles victim upside down by the ankle. Latin levo("to raise") + corpus("body")
- Liberacorpus
- Counter spell to Levicorpus. Latin liberare("to free") + corpus("body")
- Locomotor
- Incited as "Locomotor [name of object]", causing said object to rise and move about at caster's will. Locomotor Mortis locks the victim's legs together, making it impossible to walk. Latin loco("to place") + moto("to move about"); mortis = "death"
- Lumos
- Creates a narrow beam of light from the wand tip. Latin lumen = "light"
- Meteolojinx Recanto
- Causes magically-induced weather effects to cease. Greek meteôrologia("metereology") + English "jinx" + Latin recanto("recall, revoke")
- Mobiliarbus
- Lifts a tree a few inches off ground and levitates it to an indicated position. Latin mobilito("to set in motion") + arbor/arbos("a tree")
- Mobilicorpus
- Similar to Mobiliarbus except it moves a body instead of a tree.
- Morsmordre
- Summons a Dark Mark(usually used by Voldemort), often used to mark deaths or cause terror. Latin mors("death") + French mordre("to bite")
- Muffliato
- Prevents people who are nearby or being directed at by the wand from hearing nearby conversations. From English "muffle"
- Nox
- Counter spell to Lumos. Latin = "night"
- Obliviate
- Hides a particular memory. Latin oblivium = "forgetfulness"
- Obscuro
- Blindfolds the victim. Latin = "to conceal/darken/cover"
- Oppugno
- Causes conjured objects to attack. Latin = "to attack"
- Orchideous
- Conjures a bouquet of flowers from the wand. From English "orchid"
- Pack
- Packs a trunk or any luggage
- Peskipiksi Pesternomi
- Supposedly removes Cornish pixies, but unknown if it actually works! From English "pesky" + "pixie" + "pester" + "no" + "me"
- Petrificus Totalus
- Temporarily binds the victim's body imitating a soldier at attention, but breathing and seeing is unrestricted. From English "petrify" + "total"
- Piertotum Locomotor
- Animates statues and armour suits to do the caster's bidding. Latin petrus("stone") + totus("whole of")
- Point Me
- Turns the wand into a compass, pointing towards north.
- Portus
- Turns an object into a portkey, i.e. touching the enchanted object would teleport the person/people touching it towards a specified location. Latin = "port/harbour/refuge/haven"
- Prior Incantato
- Works against Deletrius by revealing an "echo" of the previous spell cast from the target wand. Latin prior("former") + incanto("to enchant)
- Protego
- Emanates a shield around the caster, and rebounds enemy spells, or at least reduce their effects. Protego Horriblis provides some protection against Dark Magic, while Protego Totalum provides protection for an area/dwelling. Useless against Avada Kedavra. Latin protego = "to protect"; horribilis = "horrible"; totus = "as a whole"
- Quietus
- Makes a magically magnified voice return to normal; counter spell to Sonorus. Latin = "undisturbed, calm"
- Reducio
- Makes an enlarged object smaller. Counter-charm to Engorgio. Latin = "to bring back"
- Reducto
- Explodes solid objects. Latin reductio = "restoration"
- Relashio
- Forces somebody/something to release whatever he/she/it's holding. Italian rilasciare = "to release"
- Rennervate
- Revives someone out of unconsciousness; counter spell to Stupefy. re("again") + nervus("strength")
- Reparo
- Repairs broken/damaged objects. Latin = "to renew/repair"
- Repello Muggletum
- Keeps Muggles(non-magical humans) from wizarding places, usually by distracting them with another thought or making them forget. Latin repello = "to drive away"
- Rictusempra
- Victim experiences tickling sensation. Latin rictus("open mouth") + semper("always")
- Riddikulus
- Turns a Boggart(a creature that takes on a personally terrifying form) into a more humorous form. Latin ridiculus = "absurd"
- Salvio Hexia
- Provides some protection against hexes. Latin salvus("safe") + English "hex"
- Scourgify
- Used to clean something. English "scour"
- Sectumsempra
- Violently wounds the victim, akin to slashing with a sword. Latin sectum("cut") + semper("always")
- Serpensortia
- Conjures a serpent from the wand. Latin serpens("a snake") + French sortir("to come out / leave")
- Silencio
- Silences something immediately. silenzio/silencio = "silence"
- Sonorus
- Magnifies caster's voice. Latin = "loud"
- Specialis Revelio
- Reveals an object's hidden secrets / magical properties. Latin specialis + revelo("to unveil")
- Stupefy
- Renders victim unconscious. Latin stupefacio("to make senseless")
- Tarantallegra
- Makes victim's legs move uncontrollably. Italian taranta/tarantella + allegra("joyful")
- Tergeo
- Siphons a substance from a surface, e.g. blood, ink, dust. Latin = "to wipe/scour/clean"
- Waddiwasi
- Launches small objects through the air. English "wad"
- Wingardium Leviosa
- Levitates objects. English "wing" + Latin arduus("tall") + levis("light")
...Now that you have this huge list of spells, I suppose you could try to cast some of them with a wand or something. Maybe you'll discover that you're not a Muggle after all! Then again, you would have already been enrolled in a magic school at the age of 11, so it's very unlikely they missed you out... :P
