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Muggles, as we know, are the people who have no magical ability and are born in a non-magical family. Non-magical people are called Muggles in the British magical community and 'No-maj' in the American community. But we can find wizards in other countries also. E.g the twins Parvati and Padma Patil were of Indian descent.

What are non-magical people called by magical communities outside of Britain and America?

I am not asking about different languages like German or French. I am asking about different magical communities in other countries.

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    In Germany maybe it’s die Mügglen?
    – Paul D. Waite
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 12:43
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    Rowling is incorrect; in America we have always referred to them as Muggles as well. Not sure where she gets her information.
    – Reinstate Monica -- notmaynard
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 15:39
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    @iamnotmaynard so you're saying that the one who created the HP universe is wrong? from where she gets her information -- I loved this part
    – Shreedhar
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 15:48
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    In the books? (i.e. Harry sees a "non-magician" in Spain, how will he call it ?) or in real life (If I buy Harry Potter in Spain, how will muggles be translated) ?
    – Goufalite
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 16:21
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    @Goufalite In the spanish books, it's the same: "muggles" (lowercase, usually italicized) (pronunciado "maguels"). Example of use (not actual sentences from the books): "¿Siempre has vivido rodeado de muggles, Harry?" ("Have you always lived surrounded by muggles, Harry?"). "La madre de Hermione es una muggle" ("Hermione's mother is a muggle")
    – xDaizu
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 17:07

7 Answers 7

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As far as the information from the HP books (and movies), Fantastic Beasts first movie, and as you mentioned in your question, the non-wizarding world people are addressed as:

  1. MUGGLES by the British community
  2. NO-MAJ (NON-MAGICALS) by the American community

However, according to David Yates (director of the new Fantastic Beasts movie), in his interview here, he mentioned that the French address non-wizards as:

NON-MAGIQUES

Which is undoubtedly the literal translation of the American term. However, as far as I have read, searched and seen online, these are the only three terms mentioned. (Fingers crossed for some new reveals though!)

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    I really hope they won't use that word, when the translator actually succeeded in coming with a decent name, "Moldus". Even though I can't really see how they could use it in English.
    – Orlahm
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 12:51
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    @Vrashnak I know right. It's weird that they were lazy enough to just translate it.
    – Shreedhar
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 12:54
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    One could say the very word "No-Maj" was already quite lazy... But well.
    – Orlahm
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 13:03
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    I hate to say this, as the bold, italicized text makes you seem quite confident in your answer, but the American term is no-maj not non-mag.
    – user428517
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 19:18
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    @BruceWayne Yes, in-universe, though typoed - the term No-Maj was introduced in the Fantastic Beasts movie from 2016, which is set in the US
    – Izkata
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 20:53
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Even though only two words have been officially disclosed, we could assume other countries would use the words introduced in official translations of HP books. There's a list of translations for "muggle" at Harry Potter Wikia.

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    Thats a reasonable assumption. Has JKR said anything about this?
    – amflare
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 14:18
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    The American version uses "Muggle" and the French translation uses "Moldu". I don't think this assumption will hold.
    – Laurel
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 16:27
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    This list provides the translated/dubbed names in movies in various languages, not the actual terms.
    – Shreedhar
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 16:31
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I dont believe Rowling has answered this. I suspect we might find out what muggles in France are called with the next Fantastic Beasts movie.

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    Are you sure this hasn't been answered on Pottermore or elsewhere?
    – Edlothiad
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 12:03
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    In France we say "Moldu(s)" (source : I'm French). I didn't dig why because I don't know if OP wants a list or a canon explaination of "muggle" ethymology in the potterverse...
    – Goufalite
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 15:55
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In the Finnish translations, it is Jästi. The source is a currently unavailable pro gradu work for Tampere University linguistics:

http://uta32-kk.lib.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/90829/gradu00230.pdf
(gives a timeout error at the moment)

Hanna Karppinen: Harry Potter -kirjojen suomennoksissa käytetyt uudissanat, Appendix 2. Pro gradu. Tampereen yliopisto, 2003

Translation: "The neologisms used in translations of the Harry Potter books"

Funnily enough, the word means a person that is an outsider. One that does not belong to any circles. It can be any kind of a circle, ie. a group of people with a common interest or background.

The word itself was selected by the Finnish translator, Jaana Kapari, from the word jästipää which means a very stubborn person. Stubborn to a level of stupidity.

https://fi.wiktionary.org/wiki/jästi

Btw, the English version of that page tells that it's a person who does not partake in geocaching, but that seems to be someone's joke addition :)

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In India, they're called "मगलू" in Hindi which in English would be pronounced as "Mugloo".

Source: glosbe.com/en/hi/Muggle and also from Harry Potter Wikia. For the pronounciation part, you can copy paste the Hindi word in the translator and listen to the audio

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    Do you have any references to support this? Preferably from HP universe?
    – Tyrion Lannister
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 9:38
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    glosbe.com/en/hi/Muggle and this is from Harry Potter Wikia : harrypotter.answers.wikia.com/wiki/Muggle_in_hindi For the pronounciation part, you can copy paste the Hindi word in the translator and listen to the audio.
    – Abhi
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 9:43
  • I have watched all HP movies in both Hindi and English, so I can confirm this word is right.
    – Not
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 9:47
  • @Abhi Good to know. You can edit your answer and add those references in your answer directly instead of comments.
    – Tyrion Lannister
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 9:48
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    That first link is definitely an out-of-universe translation, the second is a single word on a wiki. Hardly references if you ask me.
    – JAD
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 10:47
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Ok, this is just speculation on my part... but hear me out:

Since it's not actually an english word (Unless you consider it's root as 1920's New Orleans slang for a joint and/or hot chocolate.) but rather a wizard world word I'd think that most countries would have a local word derived from olde wizarde or high wiz (or whatever the spell language is called) such as Muggle in English, Mugglare in Swedish and मगलू in Hindi (as Abhi stated).

Some communities could try and mark their uniqueness and standing apart from the other wizarding world by making up words (such as the americans with their slang word "no-maj") but the word "Muggle" would still be recognizeable by them.

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In Germany it is written: "Muggel" It is pronounced the same way, just with a deeper "u" and the double "g" is kinda quick.

Interesting topic though.

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    Do you have any references to support this? Preferably from HP universe?
    – Tyrion Lannister
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 9:38
  • @NogShine It’s from the official German translation of the books (and movies). But presumably that’s not what you’re asking about.
    – Konrad Rudolph
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 10:52

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