/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>8717021
You're partly right. The plural for elf has always been 'elves', but the plural for dwarf is (still) 'dwarfs'. Tolkien, picking up on the plural for elf, used 'dwarves' to slightly differentiate his rough and stocky folk from the sillier fairytale dwarfs in other sources (as in your example of Snow White), and the term stuck, spread and became a generally accepted plural form for the word, especially in Tolkien-inspired fantasy settings. 'Dwarfs' is, however, the more proper term, and while using 'dwarves' passes as correct in common usage, you're better off using the former unless the discussion is related to Tolkien's works or a derivative fantasy world.