Apparently Muggle is a British term for non-wizard person, according to a new report from the set of
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The American term for a non-wizard person is a 'No-Maj', short for no magic. So this is a more accurate term for the character Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler, who was revealed as a Muggle that Newt Scamander befriends.
Quote:
J.K. Rowling — who also wrote the movie’s screenplay — is poised to introduce several new words into the Potterverse lexicon, and the most significant might be what Stateside wizards say instead of Muggle: “No-Maj” (pronounced “no madge,” as in “no magic”).
The blunt-sounding, hyphenated U.S. shorthand is used frequently by American wizards in the film, where English magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) comes to New York and has all sorts of adventures.