ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > Dwarves or Dwarfs?
Dwarves or Dwarfs?
Pretty3
|
Dwarves or Dwarfs?
|
Hi,
can you tell me what the plural is of Dwarf?
Is it Dwarves or Dwarfs??????
In the dictionary , I saw both.
Which one is used more??
Best Regards,
:) |
13 Feb 2011
|
|
|
|
moravc
|
both are correct. dwarves - sounds more "bookish", proper and British dwarfs - sounds more slangish and American :-D Any native speakers around to help Pretty3?
|
13 Feb 2011
|
|
dturner
|
I think because of the influence of Snow White, we tend to use dwarfs in the West. However, every time I write that word I have to stop and think. And sometimes, cringe. dt
|
13 Feb 2011
|
|
|
almaz
|
Yes, both are acceptable (check any halfway decent dictionary, but dwarfs definitely gets more Google hits)). Remember, too, that �dwarf � is also a verb (to make something seem smaller by comparison). Apparently, the verbal inflections mirror the nominal inflections nowadays, so you might bump into both dwarfs and dwarves * as 3rd person singular of the verb to dwarf even though you �d expect only the first form.
*For example, a recent report in the Telegraph notes: By comparison, B�rdarbunga dwarves the Eyjafjallaj�kull volcano, which shut down most of Europe �s airspace last year after its ash cloud drifted across the continent �s skies.
PS I �ve heard of some people blaming JRR Tolkien for introducing dwarves as a plural. If it �s of any interest, Terry Pratchett �s Discworld has attempted to restore the balance with dwarfs! |
13 Feb 2011
|
|
|