Harry Potter: Lexicon

I took a research sabbatical yesterday, but it's good to be back. Trying to delve more deeply into the Harry Potter phenomenon, I encountered this article:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070531/harry-potter-park.htm

"Harry Potter Land" is coming to Florida.

That amazes me. How many theme parks are based on, of all things, a novel? As a writer, you rest assured of your financial success when you've got Universal Studios on the phone.

What has J.K. Rowling done to appeal to so many people?

One technique I've noticed is that Mrs. Rowling expands the English lexicon. In any fantasy world, even one as modern as Harry Potter's, readers expect to encounter new words that they don't find in ordinary life. Thus, simple, creative terms like "muggle," "mud-blood," and "quidditch" have particular marketing appeal, and with the novel's success, they've become as commonplace as "Big Mac," "McNuggets," and "quarter-pounder with cheese."

I mention McDonalds because, wherever they set up grills, they invent new language to attract customers.

Apparently novels can ride on the same strategy.