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chop1125 t1_ja378z9 wrote

He also had a transcript rejected because the plural of dwarf was dwarfs, and not dwarves, according to the oxford English dictionary. He told the editor that he wrote the oxford English dictionary, and to quit correcting him.

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drygnfyre t1_ja594x2 wrote

The other thing to note is the entire concept of language is that it evolves over times. Words like "doghouse" and the name "Vanessa" were outright invented by Shakespeare. They just became words and were accepted. Thus, while Tolkein is correct, at the same time, if enough people wrote and accepted "dwarves," it's also valid.

A good example would be "virus." Both "viruses" and "virii" are accepted as words, depending largely on the context.

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ichankal t1_ja6txdi wrote

> name "Vanessa" were outright invented by Shakespeare

Google tells me it was made by Jonathan Swift.

You might be thinking of Jessica.

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