Hobbit: Difference between revisions
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==English== | ==English== | ||
=== | ===Transliteration=== | ||
* Katakana: ホビット (hobitto) | * Katakana: ホビット (hobitto) | ||
* Zhuyin (approximate): ㄏㄛ ㄅㄧ ㄊ | * Zhuyin (approximate): ㄏㄛ ㄅㄧ ㄊ | ||
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'''hobbit''' (plural: '''hobbits''') | '''hobbit''' (plural: '''hobbits''') | ||
# A member of a fictional race of small | # A member of a fictional race of small humanoid beings characterized by hairy feet, rustic habits, and a fondness for comfort. | ||
#* Example: “Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who preferred tea and quiet evenings.” | #* Example: “Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who preferred tea and quiet evenings.” | ||
# (humorous) A person of short stature. | # (humorous) A person of short stature. | ||
# A nickname sometimes applied to the extinct hominin species ''Homo floresiensis'', discovered on the island of Flores | # A nickname sometimes applied to the extinct hominin species ''Homo floresiensis'', discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, due to its small size. | ||
# (US slang, rare) A socially awkward or overly academic student. | # (US slang, rare) A socially awkward or overly academic student. | ||
===Etymology=== | ===Etymology=== | ||
Coined in its modern literary sense by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1930s and first published in ''The Hobbit'' (1937) | Coined in its modern literary sense by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1930s and first published in ''The Hobbit'' (1937). The term later appeared prominently in ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–1955). | ||
Tolkien humorously proposed an Old English derivation from a hypothetical ''holbytla'' (“hole-builder”), from ''hol'' (“hole”) + ''bytlan'' (“to build”). | Tolkien humorously proposed an Old English derivation from a hypothetical ''holbytla'' (“hole-builder”), from ''hol'' (“hole”) + ''bytlan'' (“to build”). | ||
The | The word may also have been influenced by: | ||
* English folklore | * English folklore terms such as ''hob'' (a household spirit; also a nickname for Robert). | ||
* A 19th-century reference to “hobbits” in the ''Denham Tracts'', listed alongside hobgoblins and other sprites. | * A 19th-century reference to “hobbits” in the ''Denham Tracts'', listed alongside hobgoblins and other sprites. | ||
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===Video Commentary=== | ===Video Commentary=== | ||
{{#ev:youtube|8GbHWY0roOY|800|center|Why Lord of the Rings Architecture Isn’t Just Fantasy.. It’s a Warning | {{#ev:youtube|8GbHWY0roOY|800|center|Why Lord of the Rings Architecture Isn’t Just Fantasy.. It’s a Warning - DamiLee}} | ||
At approximately 0:17, this video discusses the etymology of the word '''hobbit''', including Tolkien’s proposed Old English derivation. The discussion later | At approximately 0:17, this video discusses the etymology of the word '''hobbit''', including Tolkien’s proposed Old English derivation. The discussion later examines hobbit architecture, especially the design of hobbit-holes, and considers how Tolkien’s architectural imagination reflects broader cultural and environmental themes within Middle-earth. | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
* Wiktionary contributors. “hobbit.” ''Wiktionary''. [https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=hobbit&oldid=89226486 Permanent link]. Accessed 20 February 2026. | |||
* DamiLee. “Why Lord of the Rings Architecture Isn’t Just Fantasy.. It’s a Warning.” ''YouTube''. [https://youtu.be/8GbHWY0roOY Watch video]. Accessed 20 February 2026. | |||