elf/dwarf

Hey what is the difference between: elf and dwarf ??

When I want to describe a person who has abnormal growth :

He is a dwarf.

what about the usage of elf ??

Thanks in advance .

An elf is some kind of imaginary creature like a fairy or a pixie, which lives in forests and has magical powers. It's definitely not real and not used to refer to people.

A dwarf was also a small mythical man, but it has a medical meaning too. Dwarfism is a medical condition, so if the person suffers from this condition then I think it's possible to call them a dwarf. But note that some people with dwarfism prefer other terms, such as little person, and it can be tricky to know which terms can cause offence and which don't.

Elves are creatures of legend. There are, to my everlasting regret, no real elves.

Dwarves also exist in legends, but in real life they are people who do not grow to full adult height. There are different kinds of dwarfism. "Midget" is a term sometimes used for people who have a certain kind of dwarfism.

As has been said, "elf" is not used in reference to people in the way that "dwarf" is. It would be ususual to hear a person called an elf for any reason, except perhaps as private joke. In reference to persons the word "elfin" (adjective) is occasionally used, which means delicately built or delicate-featured.

e.g.
"Twiggy became the world's first supermodel and her elfin looks were synonymous with the Swinging Sixties."

To call a person with dwarfism a dwarf is quite likely to be offensive; however, there is no established alternative, and a number of terms are used, e.g. people with dwarfism, people of short stature, etc.

An elf is a small supernatural mischief-maker in folklore, a lively imaginary being resembling a human with pointed ears, often considered to have magical powers.

A dwarf is a real person of small stature due to medical reasons, somebody with an average sized body but unusuallly short limbs because of growth hormone deficiency.

Calling a person 'a dwarf' or 'a pygmy' is an offensive term for somebody who is of shorter than average height, an insult to one's importance, knowledge or ability.

midget-dwarf

Both are medical terms.

dwarf - disproportionate (condition: achondroplasia)
midget - proportionate (growth hormone or IGF-1 problems)

vargasz said:

midget-dwarf

Both are medical terms.

dwarf - disproportionate (condition: achondroplasia)
midget - proportionate (growth hormone or IGF-1 problems)

In American English, I believe both terms would be avoided by physicians and other professionals dealing with people with dwarfism.

The medical dictionary at the Merriam-Webster dictionary Web site lists "midget," but identifies it as "sometimes offensive."

I checked a couple of American-based medical Web sites aimed at the general public, Dr. Koop's site and that of the Mayo Clinic. The word "midget" is nowhere to be found in Dr. Koop's site. It occurs in the Mayo Clinic site under the article "Dwarfism," in the following context:

"Most people with dwarfism prefer not to be labeled. However, some people may refer to themselves as dwarfs or little people. The word 'midget' is considered a derogatory term."

Others can speak of the status of the terms "dwarf" and "midget" in other branches of English, but my advice is that if one is writing or speaking American English, one should avoid "midget" and should generally avoid "dwarf," substituting instead "man with dwarfism," "person with dwarfism," and so forth in medical contexts, and "little person" in nonmedical contexts. If issues of body proportion are relevant to the discussion, then the precise medical condition should be specified.

Let's not forget that for Tolkien, elves are tall, beautiful and immortal 👁 Wink ;)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_%28Middle-earth%29