Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

?
? asked in Arts & HumanitiesBooks & Authors · 2 weeks ago

In a fantasy world were dwarves Are a separate race, what do they call humans with dwarfism?

The thought occured to me that, while I've seen dwarfs in fantasy literature (and other media) it's always as either a completely separate race from humans with some unique characteristics of thier own, or as regular humans with dwarfism. I cannot recall a single instance were a Fantasy Dwarf and a human with dwarfism are even mentioned as existing in the the same story. I'm not saying such a story doesn't exist, but I've never seen one. It did get me thinking though...

In a fantasy world, such as Middle-Earth, were dwarves exist as a separate race from humanity, what would they call regular humans with dwarfism?

6 Answers

Relevance
  • ?
    Lv 7
    2 weeks ago

    Ms Bittner, I don't think that was our "Andrew" but his fake alter ego.

  • Voelven
    Lv 7
    2 weeks ago

    In a fantasy world, it would be entirely up to the author.

    For Tolkien's Middle-Earth specifically, it would have been up to J.R.R. Tolkien himself, but if he didn't have both, then there's likely no way of knowing his thoughts on the matter, unless he mentioned it elsewhere.

  • Andrew
    2 weeks ago

    Ibuns or petty-dwarves

    I just call them midgets. If they don't like that, they can take it up with me. I mean, it's not as though I can't take a midget in a street fight. 

  • MsBittner
    Lv 7
    2 weeks ago

    That's a strange and interesting observation. I'd like to spend a little time inside your mind, perhaps fencing off a few areas...

    Andrew, I find the use of the term "midget" offensive, and your certainty that you could beat one in a fight not funny. I take it you have no friends who are little people?

  • u_bin_called
    Lv 7
    2 weeks ago

    I see no reason why they wouldn't still call it "dwarfism"....seeing as it can be taken to mean having dwarf-like features (as opposed to actually being a "dwarf").

    Consider how the term "mongoloid" is still accepted in some circles to refer to the physical features of a non-Asian person with Downs Syndrome...

  • Anonymous
    2 weeks ago

    Sigh. Just make up something, if you can. It's your fantasy world. This isn't funny either, if that's what you're thinking.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.