dwarvish

English

Etymology

A variant of dwarfish, coined by J. R. R. Tolkien. For -f → -vish, compare beevish, calvish, elvish, selvish, thievish, wivish, wolvish.

Adjective

dwarvish (not comparable)

1. Alternative form of dwarfish.

References

• The Hobbit, 3rd edition, London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1966: “In English the only correct plural of dwarf is dwarfs, and the adjective is dwarfish. In this story dwarves and dwarvish are used, but only when speaking of the ancient people to whom Thorin Oakenshield and his companions belonged.”