Dwarf
/dwɔːrf/noun
A person or being of unusually short stature; in folklore, a small humanlike creature.
Did you know?In Old Norse and related Germanic traditions, dwarfs were not just tiny people but supernatural craftsmen tied to hidden treasure, iron, and dangerous magic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dwergaz
“a dwarf; a supernatural dwarf-being”
Old English
OE
dweorg
“a dwarf, often a supernatural being”
Old High German
OHG
twerg
“a dwarf”
Old Norse
ON
dvergr
“a dwarf, one of the mythic beings of Norse lore”
Middle English
ME
dwarf
“a dwarf; later also a person of very short stature”
Modern English
English
dwarf
“a person of unusually short stature; also a mythological dwarf”