Hobbit

English

Pronunciation

• IPA (UK): /ˈhɒbɪt/
• IPA (US): /ˈhɑbɪt/
• Katakana: ホビット (hobitto)
• Zhuyin (approximate): ㄏㄛ ㄅㄧ ㄊ
• Hangul: 호빗
• Cyrillic: хоббит

Noun

hobbit (plural: hobbits)

1. A member of a fictional race of small, humanoid beings with hairy feet and a fondness for comfort and rural life.
   • Example: “Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who preferred tea and quiet evenings.”
2. (humorous) A person of short stature.
3. A nickname sometimes applied to the extinct hominin species Homo floresiensis, discovered on the island of Flores in Indonesia, due to its small size.
4. (US slang, rare) A socially awkward or overly academic student.

Etymology

Coined in its modern literary sense by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 1930s and first published in The Hobbit (1937), later appearing 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”).

The term may also have been influenced by:

• English folklore words 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.

Derived Terms

• hobbitish
• hobbitlike
• hobbitry
• hobbitic
• hobbitness

Translations

Fictional creature sense

• Chinese (Mandarin): 霍比特人 (huòbǐtè rén), 哈比人 (Taiwan)
• Japanese: ホビット
• Korean: 호빗
• Russian: хоббит

See Also

• halfling
• hobgoblin
• Homo floresiensis

Cultural & Architectural Discussion

Video Commentary

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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 turns to hobbit architecture, especially the design of hobbit-holes, and explores how Tolkien’s architectural imagination reflects broader themes within Middle-earth.

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References

• Wiktionary contributors. “hobbit.” Wiktionary. Permanent link. Accessed 20 February 2026.

• DamiLee. “Why Lord of the Rings Architecture Isn’t Just Fantasy.. It’s a Warning.” YouTube. Watch video. Accessed 20 February 2026.