D&D 5E Other names for halflings

[Einlanzer0]

I'm knowledgeable about its origin in D&D, but the word "halfling" always seems like a pejorative used by by bigger people rather than an acceptable name for the race. I think mostly this comes from its descriptive nature (only dragonborn are similar, and, frankly, I don't like that name either). Are there better terms for halflings used in different campaign settings? I remember the Kender of Dragonlance, but they are technically not the same race. I'm just curious about what insights other people have.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

In Forgotten Realms they call their race Hin.

 

[Einlanzer0]

In Forgotten Realms they call their race Hin.

I forgot about that. Well, it wouldn't be my top pick but at least it has a precedent.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

They're also called the good folk, the quick folk, and the sly folk in FR.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Yeah that always bothered me, too. Just because "hobbit" is vetoed, doesn't make "halfling" work well, especially in the sense that the race would call themselves that. "Hin" works (although I suspect it's lifted from Hîn or Chîn which is Sindarin for "children", so, still a Tolkien fallback.

I have mused before about the offspring of an elf and a human being a halfling, which would make sense name-wise.

To go full Tolkien and inspire from Old English;

ríce Strong Neuter Noun ja-stem
realm 1. power authority reign referring to sovereigns or to others in authority 2. the district in which power is exercised a kingdom realm diocese 3. the people inhabiting a district a nation

frumcynn Strong Neuter Noun
ancestry origin descent lineage race tribe
frumcynn Singular Plural
Nominative (the/that þæt) frumcynn (the/those þá) frumcynn
Accusative (the/that þæt) frumcynn (the/those þá) frumcynn
Genitive (the/that þæs) frumcynnes (the/those þára) frumcynna
Dative (the/that þæm) frumcynne (the/those þæm) frumcynnum

cynd Strong Neuter Noun
origin generation birth race species place by nature nature kind property quality character offspring gender genitalia
cynd Singular Plural
Nominative (the/that þæt) cynd (the/those þá) cynd
Accusative (the/that þæt) cynd (the/those þá) cynd
Genitive (the/that þæs) cyndes (the/those þára) cynda
Dative

Have a play here: http://www.oldenglishtranslator.co.uk

 

[Onslaught]

Hobbit, but that's trademarked...

Ninja'ed by The Grassy Gnoll

 

[steeldragons]

I believe Hin is their self-referential in Mystara and/or Greyhawk(...and was then assumed/adopted into FR)

 

[TheCosmicKid]

ríce Strong Neuter Noun ja-stem
realm 1. power authority reign referring to sovereigns or to others in authority 2. the district in which power is exercised a kingdom realm diocese 3. the people inhabiting a district a nation

This is the same word as modern English "rich" and German "Reich".

frumcynn Strong Neuter Noun
ancestry origin descent lineage race tribe
frumcynn Singular Plural
Nominative (the/that þæt) frumcynn (the/those þá) frumcynn
Accusative (the/that þæt) frumcynn (the/those þá) frumcynn
Genitive (the/that þæs) frumcynnes (the/those þára) frumcynna
Dative (the/that þæm) frumcynne (the/those þæm) frumcynnum

"Frum" is actually not modern English "from", but the meaning is close enough that I'd happily translate this as "From-kin". Names using "-kin" seem to be popular for definitely-not-hobbits. In Magic: the Gathering, they're "Kithkin".

cynd Strong Neuter Noun
origin generation birth race species place by nature nature kind property quality character offspring gender genitalia
cynd Singular Plural
Nominative (the/that þæt) cynd (the/those þá) cynd
Accusative (the/that þæt) cynd (the/those þá) cynd
Genitive (the/that þæs) cyndes (the/those þára) cynda
Dative

Modern English "kind". Got Hamlet on the brain, do we?

 

[Hriston]

The term "halfling" goes back to Tolkien as well, and is a translation of the Sindarin periannath. "Hobbit" is itself a translation of their name for themselves, which means "hole builder". In the original Westron, the name is "Kuduk".

 

[TheCosmicKid]

The term "halfling" goes back to Tolkien as well, and is a translation of the Sindarin periannath. "Hobbit" is itself a translation of their name for themselves, which means "hole builder". In the original Westron, the name is "Kuduk".

All after-the-fact etymologizing, as I understand it. Tolkien wrote "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit" and only later set about figuring out where that word came from.

(The dirty little secret of Tolkien's language construction is that he actually did this sort of thing a lot. Well, I say "dirty" -- really I think it makes him and his process much more approachable.)