Mirror of Erised

Question

There is an item named the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter. Back then I took it as granted, thinking that Erised is just a made-up word. However, some days ago I read the Japanese version and it was translated as "Mizo no Kagami". I knew that "Kagami" means "mirror", so "mizo" is the Japanese translation of "Erised". Curious, I looked at my dictionary and didn't find the word "Erised". What does it mean? I am pretty sure that "mizo" isn't a made-up word, either, since it was written with Hiragana instead of Katakana. Anyone can help me?

GPY · Accepted Answer

"Erised" is "Desire" spelled backwards.

I think "Mizo no" is a similar word-play on ???.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

The Mirror of Erised is a mirror, which, according to Albus Dumbledore , shows the "deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." The name "Erised" is "desire" spelled backwards, as if reflected in a mirror. The happiest person in the world would look in the mirror and see a reflection of them, exactly as they were.
The writing engraved on the frame of the mirror is supposedly in a foreign and probably dead language, but if you look closely it says "I show not your face but your heart's desire" backwards, with the spaces rearranged. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

— Source: Harry Potter Wiki

Monox D. I-Fly · Answer

****, why didn't I catch that?

By the way, you know Japanese? I thought that the Japanese for "desire", is "kibou", "yabou", or "negai". But when I think about it, "kibou" means "hope", "yabou" means "ambition", and "negai" means "wish", though I am not too sure how those four are different from each other.

GPY · Answer

Monox D. I-FlyBy the way, you know Japanese? I thought that the Japanese for "desire", is "kibou", "yabou", or "negai". But when I think about it, "kibou" means "hope", "yabou" means "ambition", and "negai" means "wish", though I am not too sure how those four are different from each other.

I couldn't really claim to "know" Japanese. I know a few words, enough to read some simple sentences. The WWWJDIC dictionary defines ??? as meaning "wish; desire; hope", but my knowledge of Japanese unfortunately isn't advanced enough to understand the nuances that differentiate this from other words that you mention.

Monox D. I-Fly · Answer

GPYI couldn't really claim to "know" Japanese. I know a few words, enough to read some simple sentences. The WWWJDIC dictionary defines ??? as meaning "wish; desire; hope", but my knowledge of Japanese unfortunately isn't advanced enough to understand the nuances that differentiate this from other words that you mention.

What about the English differences between those words?

Mirror of Erised

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