As time passes, we humans continue evolving, we are adding new terms and words in our language to communicate in a better way. Sometimes we use words from ancient languages, and sometimes we modify the old words to define things easily.
Key Takeaways
- Dwarfism is a medical condition characterized by short stature due to genetic or hormonal factors, with the most common form being achondroplasia.
- The term “midget” was historically used to describe individuals of short stature without the typical physical characteristics of dwarfism but is now considered offensive and derogatory.
- To show respect and sensitivity, use “little person” or “person with dwarfism” instead of outdated or offensive terminology.
Dwarf vs Midget
Just like that, the word “Dwarf” derived from the ancient German language. The dwarf is used for a concise person, someone less than 58 inches tall.
Midget comes from the word “myth” used for the small fly. Both Dwarf and Midget describe a short person. however, midget is considered an offensive word nowadays.
If a person has an adult height of 147 cm (4 ft 10 in), then he/she is considered a dwarf. Medically when a person has a condition that causes them to be very short with the disproportion of body parts is known as dwarfism.
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Midget can also be used for a concise person but is normally proportioned. But nowadays, this word is rarely used and is also considered offensive. It’s been utilized until the finish of the twentieth century.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of comparison | Dwarf | Midget |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | a person, animal or plant that is much smaller than the usual size with disproportionate body parts | a very small person with proportionate body parts like normal humans |
| Offensive | Not considered offensive | Considered offensive |
| Affects | Humans, animals, and plants | Humans only |
| Height | 147 cm (4 ft 10 in) | 147 cm (4 ft 10 in) |
| Physical condition | Extremely short but disproportionate body type – joint diseases, enlarged head, bow legs, dental problems, hunched back. | Concise but proportionate body type |
| Causes | Genetic disorder | Genetic disorder |
What is Dwarf?
The word dwarf is used for a person to have a very short height (147cm) in their adulthood and has a body disproportionate medically; this is called dwarfism.
The primary cause of dwarfism is hereditary clutters, and dwarfism can likewise be because of metabolic issues or malnourishment. Dwarfism is not a disease, and therefore it has no medical definition.
A person with dwarfism can have these problems – an enlarged head, bow legs, dental problems, hunched back, physical deformity or scoliosis.
The most generally realized dwarfism is skeletal dysplasia. Skeletal dysplasias are states of strange bone development that, because of lopsided dwarfism, can prompt other medical issues, for example, osteoarthritis.
Dwarfs also can have proportionate body types, and most dwarfs can do all things that a normal human can do.
Proportionate dwarfism: A body is proportionately little if all pieces of the body are little to a similar degree and seem, by all accounts, to be proportioned like an assemblage of normal stature.
Ailments present during childbirth or showing up in youth limit, by and large, development and improvement.
Just like humans’ dwarfs can be found in animals as well as in plants.
There are more chances for a baby to be a dwarf when both parents are dwarfs (very small body stature with disproportionate body parts). However, a baby can also be a dwarf when both parents are normal in this type of case.
What is Midget?
Midget means a very small person with an adult height of 58 inches or 147 cm (4 ft 10 in) this word is only used for humans, not for plants or animals.
The assemblage of the midget is proportionately little, it implies all the pieces of the body are little to a similar degree and has all the earmarks of being proportioned like a group of average stature.
Just like Dwarf, Midgets are also caused by genetic disorders, and there are more chances of inheriting the condition when both parents are extremely short of body stature.
Midget is not a medical term, and nowadays, this word is rarely used; it’s been utilized until the finish of the twentieth century.
But now it’s considered an offensive word, so it’s better not to use this word if you want a good conversation with a short-heightened person.
There have been developments to evacuate the utilization of midget from age order classifications in youth sports.
A midget can add more inches to his or her height by taking some hormonal supplements and proper nutrition, one should keep in mind to consult with their doctor before taking any hormonal supplement.
Some people also use accessories like heightened shoes which have long heels in this way, short people can feel like normal humans, not physically, but this type of thing helps them to be confident.
Main Differences Between Dwarf and Midget
- The dwarf can be found in humans, animals or plants, but midget is a term used for humans only.
- Dwarf describes a small person who has disproportionate body parts; on the other hand, Midget refers to a person who is extremely small but has proportionate body parts. Be that as it may, now and then, in our general public, an individual may be considered as a Dwarf dependent on their short stature alone.
- Dwarfism is a medical term for extremely short persons, animals or plants, but the word midget is not a medical term and is also considered offensive nowadays.
- Dwarfs are small people, just like the Midgets, but they suffer from physical problems like enlarged heads, bow legs, dental problems, hunched back physical deformity or scoliosis.
- The dwarf is derived from the German language; in old English, it was “Dweorg” with time, it turned into Dwarf, whereas Midget was first recorded in 1850-55, and it was only Midge; later, the word became Midget.
- https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a37e/d30388ff154fc1be990c416146bcc269c656.pdf
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-18902-9_27
- https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/579/756
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
