The Petty-dwarves (S."Noegyth Nibin") were the degenerate descendants of Dwarves who were exiled from the great eastern Dwarven-cities for a great crime held secret by Dwarven-lore, although some loremasters speculated that they might have been the descendants of Dwarves who had traded weapons to Morgoth or the Orcs or had sided with them in battle (indeed a few wicked dwarves had joined Fankil and his servants at the Battle of Palisor).
Although they had lived in Beleriand before the coming of the Noldorin exiles, the Petty-dwarves were a dying race even when they first entered the histories of the Westlands. The last of their kin were long assumed to have finished their lives during the First Age, and only three, the treacherous Mîm and his two sons Ibun and Khîm, were mentioned in the Elvish stories of those times. However, a few of their kind had never even come to Beleriand. These had managed to survive in dark lairs in hidden corners of Eriador ever since, periodically making appearances that were told in legends and odd, sad, old tales.
Names[]
- Sindarin: Niben-naug/Nibin-noeg, Niben-nog/Nibin-Nogrim, Nogoth Niben/Noegyth Nibin (all meaning sing./pl. "Petty-dwarf/Petty-dwarves")
- Khuzdul: Makalûk "Exiles", or Ezungazam "abhorred folk"
- Quenya: Picinauco/Picinaucor, or Pitya-nauco/Pitya-naucor (both sing./plural: "Petty-dwarf/Petty-dwarves")
- Self-designation (endonym): (Kh) Nulûkhiz "Moon-dwarves", or Azanarbîn "[the] Houseless"
Language[]
The Petty-dwarves seem to have spoken Khuzdul, albeit a Khuzdul that differed from the High-khuzdul spoken by the Dwarves of Durin's folk. It is unknown if their dialect was an outer-language specifically devised by them which was based on simplified Khuzdul, but modified for use with the outer-world, or if it had split off traditional Khuzdul as an effect of their exile and degeneration.
Speculations[]
Although the true reason for the exile of the Petty-dwarves was usually kept silent about, loremasters have supposed that the Petty-dwarves’ ancestors were those jealous and treacherous dwarves that had taken part at the Battle of Palisor on the side of those Hildor and Orcs who had served the first temple of Melkor. Indeed, judging by the few that we know of, the Petty-dwarves seem to have had a proclivity towards treachery.
Known delvings[]
(Canonical sites in bold):
- Bar-en-Ibun (Tharâg)
- Cromm Bráighe (Narukgindín)
- Cave of the Bulor-Ilg
- Ibunite's earth chalet
- Nulukkhizdín (Nargothrond)
- Sharbhund (Amon Rûdh)
Petty-dwarves of note or renown[]
(Canonical characters in bold): Brôv Grimfist Dhebûn Dhemîm Dhêo Dhîn Dîbin Dintam Draimmer Fôli Fûli Ghamîm Ghar Harnekil Ibîr Ibun Khîm Khîm II Khîn Khôrni Miffli Mîm Nedilli Nîm Obûn Omîm Ôni Ôrn Rhomîn Rhotti Ribin Steppin Thîst Zeddik Zôrn Zrôr
See also[]
References[]
- merp.com wiki (archived)