Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Film / FB DVD / J.K. Rowling / News

J.K. Rowling Explains the History Behind Choran-… That Thing the Occamy Is

by Alison Siggard · March 2, 2017

It’s the word that confused absolutely everyone, both in the final version of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and in the accompanying screenplay: choranaptyxic. In Rowling’s world, it’s a word that means something that can grow or shrink to fill the available space, such as the Occamy. There’s still some confusion on how to say it: Cor-an-AP-tikist? Cuh-RAN-up-tixic? Cor-a-WHAT?

Luckily for us, in a new clip from the bonus features in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts digital and Blu-ray release, Rowling explains how she came up with the concept, and Eddie Redmayne says the word itself for us a little slower (though it seems that he might be the only one who can – even Alison Sudol struggles to remember the word!)

Rowling explains that the idea came from a popular myth that fish only grow to fit the space available to them. Unfortunately, after some research, she found “to [her] horror” that this is not true. So without a word already in use to explain such a phenomenon, Rowling invented her own, which, as Redmayne pronounces it, is “cuh-ran-app-TIC-sic” (or somewhere thereabouts; maybe Rowling will give us a “Hermione teaching Krum how to say her name” moment for this word too?).

This featurette clip also features some gorgeous concept art of the Occamy, including one where Newt is riding the beast as it flies across a cloud-covered sky. You can see the whole clip, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, here:

 

 

The new clip is just a taste of what we hope is to come in bonus features for the home video release of the film! What secrets are you hoping will be revealed on the home release of the film? Let us know in the comments!

Social:

  • Next story “Fantastic Beasts” and Wizarding World Alumni Nominated for 2017 Saturn Awards!
  • Previous story Can Daniel Radcliffe Survive the “Jungle”?

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

July 2025

Sun, Jul 20

Jeff Rawle's birthday
Recurs yearly

Amos Diggory

Stephenie McMillan's birthday (Set decorator - RIP)
Recurs yearly

Set decorator – RIP

Mon, Jul 21

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book
Recurs yearly

2007

Tue, Jul 22

Rhys Ifans's birthday
Recurs yearly

Xenophilius Lovegood

Wed, Jul 23

Daniel Radcliffe's birthday
Recurs yearly

Harry Potter

Nicholas Hooper's birthday (Composer)
Recurs yearly

Composer

Thu, Jul 24

Letters from Hogwarts begin to arrive at number four, Privet Drive
Recurs yearly

1991

Fri, Jul 25

Cherrelle Skeete's birthday
Recurs yearly

Rose Granger-Weasley (CC – London)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript of the Original West End Production
Recurs yearly

2017

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

Albus Dumbledore sees his family in the Mirror of Erised, just as Harry Potter does.

Potter History

March 1, 2001 – Two schoolbooks from Harry Potter’s world – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages – are released. All the profits go to Comic Relief, a British charity.

Potter Quote

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.