# Where do Hobbits come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139 "2007-11-12T16:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/41 "2007-11-13T03:03:39Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] They’re what Scooby Doo likes to put on his sandwiches. He also likes rettuce and rustard. [/QUOTE] :applause: ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/42 "2007-11-13T03:04:24Z")
Theoden used “holbytla”, just to really confuse things. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/43 "2007-11-13T03:08:25Z")
Confuse how? Hobbit is derived from holbytla- meaning hole dweller. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/44 "2007-11-13T04:40:30Z")
Pippin is referred to as a “halfling” several times by the good folk of Minas Tirith while he’s hanging around there before Sauron’s fall, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/45 "2007-11-13T05:20:04Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] What **DJ** said. They’re of the 2nd born, just like the Edain, the Haradrim, the Rhunions, etc. [sub]Rhunions?[/sub] [/QUOTE] Well, there’s Deagol’s distant ancestor, Deamon Rhunion . . . ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/46 "2007-11-13T08:11:09Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Pippin is referred to as a “halfling” several times by the good folk of Minas Tirith while he’s hanging around there before Sauron’s fall, IIRC. [/QUOTE] they were referred to as _Periannath_, which would be Sindarin, I think, for “Halflings” ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/47 "2007-11-13T09:29:29Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] they were referred to as _Periannath_, which would be Sindarin, I think, for “Halflings” [/QUOTE] Only in polite dictionaries. “_hey, shortarse_” might be a more colloquial interpretation 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/48 "2007-11-13T14:47:42Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] they were referred to as _Periannath_, which would be Sindarin, I think, for “Halflings” [/QUOTE] They used both terms in Minas Tirith, IIRC. I’ll have to look that up. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/49 "2007-11-13T16:10:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lumpy] … I was unaware that Nobby Nobbs ever had the _opportunity_ to contract syphillis. [/QUOTE] Besides, considering who we’re talking about, wouldn’t it be more a case of syphilis contracting Nobby Nobbs? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/50 "2007-11-13T16:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons] Besides, considering who we’re talking about, wouldn’t it be more a case of syphilis contracting Nobby Nobbs? [/QUOTE] Syphilis’s standards are too high. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/51 "2007-11-13T16:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] They used both terms in Minas Tirith, IIRC. I’ll have to look that up. [/QUOTE] I found 27 uses of the word Halfling in the Return of the King. Jim ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/52 "2007-11-13T17:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] They used both terms in Minas Tirith, IIRC. I’ll have to look that up. [/QUOTE] Not disputing that, just adding a data point. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/53 "2007-11-13T22:00:44Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] :applause: [/QUOTE] Applesauce? Are you certain? Odd thing to put on a sandwich, even for a talking dog. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139/54 "2007-11-14T01:41:48Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Not disputing that, just adding a data point. [/QUOTE] Quite so. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-hobbits-come-from/426139.md?page=2)