# Elfs or elves



## J.C. Bell (Nov 14, 2012)

is there a standard?  Same question would apply to dwarfs or dwarves.


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## Ireth (Nov 14, 2012)

I've never seen anyone use "elfs", so I think "elves" would be the standard (much like you don't see people using "wolfs"). Not sure about dwarfs/dwarves though.


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## MadMadys (Nov 14, 2012)

Odd that I actually know the dwarf one.

Dwarves was pretty much invented by Tolkien and when referring to his characters, Dwarves is the correct spelling.  When referring to, say, an actual group, dwarfs is what you should use.  It was the spelling before Tolkien did his thing.  So I guess, this being fantasy and all, drwarves would be the way to go.  I doubt anyone would get huffy either way though.


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## wordwalker (Nov 14, 2012)

MadMadys said:


> Odd that I actually know the dwarf one.
> 
> Dwarves was pretty much invented by Tolkien and when referring to his characters, Dwarves is the correct spelling.  When referring to, say, an actual group, dwarfs is what you should use.  It was the spelling before Tolkien did his thing.  So I guess, this being fantasy and all, drwarves would be the way to go.  I doubt anyone would get huffy either way though.



Exactly. Outside our genre, "dwarfs" is correct-- Snow White, for instance. And some of us use it anyway.

But elves are elves.


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## alien (Nov 15, 2012)

Tolkien invented some terms, such as Dwarves.

But I think both can be used, but I'd prefer Dwarves. If I had a choice.


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## Jastius (Sep 7, 2013)

Actually elf can be spelt with an 'a' or a 'e'.  Alf and elf. Elvar and alfar.  'E' was the English form and 'a' was the Scandinavian/Germanic root form. 
So, the plural of elf could be elves or alfar depending upon the modalities of your specific piece.
Also, ( just to totally confuse the issue) you can see, 'Gandalf' means wand elf.


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## Ophiucha (Sep 7, 2013)

I'm fairly certain 'dwarves' is more popular simply because it matches other words like it. Loaf to loaves, elf to elves, etc.. Nobody would critique you for using dwarves in fantasy since the 'father' of the genre is the one who popularized it. But you'd still used 'dwarfs' if you're saying that 'a mountain dwarfs a hill', using it as a verb, and you would still use the 'fs' pluralization to refer to people with dwarfism, to better distinguish between the condition and the creature. Tyrion Lannister, for instance, would be one of the dwar_fs_ of Westeros. And if you want to be a pedant, then I believe 'dwarrows' would be the _correct_ pluralization.

And yes, elves > elfs. Some writers also use gendered terms for elves, with a male 'elf' and a female 'elven', in which case the male form would still be 'elves' and the female form would be 'elvens'. That is relatively uncommon, though.


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## skip.knox (Sep 10, 2013)

The adjectival form adds another wrinkle. Dwarvish and elvish sound right to me. Dwarfish and elfish sound wrong. Likewise, dwarven and elven work for me but dwarfen and elfen do not, though elfin somehow gets let in through a side door.


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## CupofJoe (Sep 10, 2013)

The Dwarfs/Dwarves difference does also highlight that you are not referring to humans with a medical condition resulting in restricted grown [Dwarfs] but to a fantasy race [Dwarves].


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## SeverinR (Sep 10, 2013)

I was thinking I saw elfs in Santa's group, but when I looked it up on bing, I found no elfs except for acronyms.
Wikipedia says plural of elf is elves, so that settles it. Wiki never lies. (lol)

Elven is the same, there is no listing for elfen.

But many dictionaries list Dwarfs and dwarves. Possibly the difference being the real dwarfs(dwarfism) versus dwarves(race) of fantasy.
dwarf - definition of dwarf by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

You are master of all you write, write it one or the other, maybe even have different societies use each in one story.  Alf, Elf, Alfish, Elvish, Elfish.

but a Selfish elfish person is not to be dwarfed by dwarves.


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## Nobby (Sep 10, 2013)

Ah, Elfen versus Elven...

I'm not really sure, my (hazy to be admitted) recollection is that the F and V sounds were pretty much the same in old Northern European Languages. In my head I sort of equate this with the difference between Colour (US American pronunciation Col-OUR) and Color (English pronunciation Co-Lore) I could be wrong though. Although, oddly, some research I've been doing references people being "Elf-shot" but hardly ever as "Elve-shot". Google it, it is actually quite interesting


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## Nobby (Sep 10, 2013)

Shameful.




I still laughed


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