Originally posted by the_big_fan
Probably because in the USA, a philospher is a wise person, yet they do not do magic. A Sorcerer does magic. In the UK, a philosopher does magic.
No, a philosopher is traditionally a great thinker, literature, science, art, etc. NOT magic, although it did seem like magic to many people
Originally posted by WaDe_N_sPaRrOw
i think it should have been called socerers stone everywhere.. just cause its like wizard**socerer they kind of go hand in hand... in my opinion
It should really have been called "Philosopher's" everywhere - Scholastic had no right to change J K Rowling's choice of title
It's not a question of intelligence on either side. There are slight distinctions between the meanings of the words between the two countries. Yes, they both speak "english", but the two words have very different connotations. One - in England - implies magic, the other, a deep thinker. The names were likely changed to country-specific definitions. When she titled the books, she likely titled them for fitting meanings, not words.
In America, a "philosopher" is a deep thinker. That said, it doesn't make sense to say "Harry Potter and the Thinker's Stone".. Likewise, "sorcorer" has the intended magical connotation needed: "HP and the Magician's Stone" - more fitting. Nothing at all to do with a difference in intelligence, or insult, just each country's specific semantical meaning.
Nothing to get offended about 🙂
Actually, I understand that 'philosopher' is 'deep thinker' in American English, but isnt that exactly what Flamel is? He may be a wizard, but no ordinary wizard could create that. He's like an Albert Einstein of the wizardnig world. Albert Einstein=philosoper therefore Flamel should be a philosopher too.
I was quite mad too when they changed the name. And what's the with pics on all the American books? They're .... ugly!
Phoenix, thx for clearing up the Bloomsbury/Scholastic thing. I was about to stick up for my Canadian publisher!
Hey, maybe they just wanted to make americans feel special. I am one, u see :-D. I mean we usually get what we want, being the richest country in the world. I mean Bill Gates alone usually has more money than half the world's countries do. So why not make it so we make more money? Its the way most people who live here are. It's all about the money, so if you want to make money, you have to make it understandable. I would say 1% of americans knew that philosophers could do magic. Only if you are truely into fantasy. And 1% of a population is not enough money for them. Thats the way I see it anyway...
There actually is some sort of Philosopher's Stone that people look for I think, that's supposed to make you immortal and turn everything to gold and all. So the Stone is actually based upon a "real" Philosopher's Stone, which makes it even more stupid that they changed it to Sorcerer for us lovely Americans. And on top of that, there's the chapter pictures, big font, and they've changed things from "mum" to the order of the words. Crazy editors.
Poeple in america think every1 in england know's what the philosaphers stone is, the legend and all, i had no idea about it till i came on the net. I thought it was a great thinker too. I doubt hardly any kid in england no what the real philoserphers stone is but they dont really care. And it matter because its insulting to change her work to make it sutible for americans when it is english. Changeing mum to mom was just plain dumb
Tell me about it, it totally sucks the British out of it. Face it, the books ARE British. Stupid American publishers need to realise that. Like the word snog, right? When you say snog, you know it means kiss, but it's more funny and slang. But translate it to American, it's just kiss. Which could mean passionate, could mean a peck, could mean slobby...get my drift?
Brunette beauty, I'd honestly expect you to be a blonde. It may not matter to you, the little details, but to us they're the greatest books of all time, and it matters. (Question: is the movie called Socerer's Stone or Philosopher's? I never really noticed.)
And Antaraka, is it just me or do you seem quite obnoxious to be living in a developed country? I mean sure, the US is great and all rich, but that's no reason to change the name. Seriously, to me, it seems like sheer stupidity. Is it that American children won't understand it due to their limited vocabulary? Becuz as Luna said, lots of other countries don't really know what a philosopher is. No reason to change the title. Just buy a friggin dictionary.
Originally posted by azyne
Tell me about it, it totally sucks the British out of it. Face it, the books ARE British. Stupid American publishers need to realise that. Like the word snog, right? When you say snog, you know it means kiss, but it's more funny and slang. But translate it to American, it's just kiss. Which could mean passionate, could mean a peck, could mean slobby...get my drift?Brunette beauty, I'd honestly expect you to be a blonde. It may not matter to you, the little details, but to us they're the greatest books of all time, and it matters. (Question: is the movie called Socerer's Stone or Philosopher's? I never really noticed.)
And Antaraka, is it just me or do you seem quite obnoxious to be living in a developed country? I mean sure, the US is great and all rich, but that's no reason to change the name. Seriously, to me, it seems like sheer stupidity. Is it that American children won't understand it due to their limited vocabulary? Becuz as Luna said, lots of other countries don't really know what a philosopher is. No reason to change the title. Just buy a friggin dictionary.
I didn't know snog meant kiss...and wtf is slobby is that a kiss too?
And someone just said English kids didn't know what Philosopher's Stone was either... 😕
no sorry the books are not british they are scottish !!!!!!!!!!
they were written in a cafe in the capital of SCOTLAND! EDINBURGH!!!
so get it right! and it is not right being called sorcerer's stone as it is a complete diffrent term from ours oh come on!!!
SCOTLAND RULES SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT JK. ROWLING AT LEAST CALL TE BOOKS SCOTTISH!!!!!!!
I learned of the alchemical myth of the Philosopher's Stone when I was seven from the Alchemist's Cat by Robin Jarvis.
Since the socialist destroyed the education system that had been the best produced by our species, Britiain is now one of the most poorly educated nations in the western world, so most children nowadays would not know what an ordinary stone is.
Originally posted by Kai_Haider
If I read 'I went over and gave my mum a snog' I would think it's like a pet or something
Well that's you. 🙄
Greek girl. Snog does NOT mean French kiss. It means "kiss" but in slang. Think about it, in OotP it says Kreacher was snogging the pair of pants. Unless you've found some way to tongue-kiss some trousers, please have the courtesy to realise that you are wrong.
The books may be written in Scotland, however they are still BRITISH. Hogwarts is in GREAT BRITIAN. Get used to it. Scotland doesn't rule, it's barely noticed. Don't get conceited.
I still don't know why they would change the name. It's dumb no matter what the reason.
Linkalicious, you're not going to get into Cambridge. To go to Cambridge you have to be SMART. You shouldn't have to sue someone in order to get money for it, if you were TRULY smart, you'd be able to get a scholarship. But anyway....