Dwarfs vs. dwarves
Usage
Dwarfs is the standard plural of the noun dwarf. Dwarves is a newer variant popularized (though not invented) by English author J.R.R. Tolkien in his fantasy fiction works, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Tolkien spelling is appropriate when referring to little people in fantasy worlds. Dwarfs is better everywhere else. (There is controversy over whether dwarf is ever a polite term for real-life people, but we won’t go into that here.)
Dwarf also works as a verb meaning to cause to appear small in size. In this sense, dwarf is inflected dwarfs, not dwarves, in the third-person singular present tense.
The below ngram graphs the occurrence of the dwarfs and the dwarves (with the definite article to remove… Continue Reading (2 minute read)
And he used *elves* instead of elfs to distinguish then from Christmas/Midsummer’s Night Dream-style pixies.
This type of spelling actually reflects Tolkien’s background in philology and goes all the way back to Old English.
In Old English the middle “f” consonant is pronounced like the modern “v” which we can see in the Old English word: “Lufode” which is pronounced “Lu – vo – de” Can you guess what that means in modern English? It’s the word: Loved.
In deciding to use the middle “V” sounds in place of the “f” sounds Tolkien was invoking that same archaic and historical sound structure to give his own use of language historical authenticity.
His work is full of these kinds of references and derivatives from Old English, the dude really knew his stuff.
That’s going in the Book of Grudges.
I wonder if being a little person would be easier in middle earth. Where small statured people are kind of a norm.
Or if elves and humans would still be dicks to everyone else.
It’s Dawi you damned Ungi!
Wherever I see dwarves and elves being discussed, I’m reminded of this brilliantly [funny scene ](https://youtu.be/qAnIOCIBFR4) from *The Office.*
Tolkein, Tolkzwei, Tolkdrei!
Agreed! I can highly recommend the *délicatesse* known as [Dwarven Bread](https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Dwarf_Bread).
Oh and by the way, it’s ‘e’ before ‘i’, except in *Tolkien*.
That’s the long and short of it.
Someones been watching factfiend
*Flashbacks to Fact Fiend a few weeks ago*
I thought it was ‘Dwarrows’?