“Dwarf” refers to a person who is very small but normally proportionate. The term dwarf is rarely used today and is considered offensive. But its use was very common until the end of the twentieth century. He gave way to the “little person” or the “little person”. The most commonly diagnosed cause of short stature is achondroplasia, a genetic disorder that results in disproportionately short arms and legs. The average height of adults with achondroplasia is 4`0.” Other relatively common genetic disorders that result in disproportionately low growth include congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (cEDS), diastrophic dysplasia, pseudoachondroplasia, hypochondroplasia, and osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). As might be expected from their names, pseudoachondroplasia and hypochondroplasia are conditions that have been confused with achondroplasia; Diastrophic dysplasia is also occasional. OI is characterized by brittle bones that break easily. The genetic mutations in most forms of dwarfism caused by bone dysplasia cannot yet be altered, so therapeutic interventions generally aim to prevent or reduce pain or physical disability, increase adult height or alleviate psychosocial distress, and improve social adjustment. [10] Although height is no longer considered a handicap, people at both ends of the spectrum compete to at least consider it. A specific event of this kind occurred in 2013, when a woman felt handicapped for a certain position in her workplace because of her short stature. She filed a lawsuit and the ADA determined it could be a valid complaint against her employer. Dwarf, comes from the word mosquito “little fly” + -and, so a dwarf is etymologically a “very small fly”.
The first mention of the word is in 1848 in Canada with the meaning of “sandfly”. In Old English, it was “mycg”, and it goes back to an Indo-European root, *mu-, which also gave the word mosquito and musket in a roundabout way. When the words were coined, “dwarf” meant a person who is small but does not have disproportionate limbs or other body parts. On the other hand, “dwarf” referred to a person who is small and has a disproportionate number of body parts. A dwarf was small but proportionate, while the growth of a dwarf was a handicap. While the terms may be offensive to a group or individuals, they are a historical description that can be helpful in distinguishing the two. For example, I gave my grade 7 class a task of comparison and contrast. One student chose dwarf/dwarf.
Pituitary or disease-related dwarfism would have been lost, as would the lesson of compassion and understanding that arose for the whole class. I think the terms used have helped my students become much more tolerant individuals. The one who wrote “I`m actually a big shrunken person,” I think I`ll use it. Anyway, I`m also a bit short; I am usually up to the shoulders or middle of the chest of those around me. I stand on my counter to reach my kitchen cupboards because the stools are too small for my little legs and arms to reach high enough. I am often called dwarf or my nickname – Short Shit – and I am not offended in any way. I don`t understand why people make such a fuss about it. Honestly, grow up.
And think about it – being small isn`t always a bad thing. It`s often easier to escape when you need to. And damn, if people didn`t pick on me from time to time because I`m little, I thought they wouldn`t like me. But obviously, they love me enough to notice my brevity and take the time to think about it long enough to hack me for it. Not to mention, you hardly have to duck under things. And if you`re a little girl who likes a tall/medium-sized guy, this gives you an excuse to talk to him (Hey, I can`t match that up there, could you get it for me?). Have you ever heard the saying, “These are the little ones you need to pay attention to?” In other words, we may be small, but we are weak. Seriously, guys, get over it. It`s a name. It`s not the end of the world. And if you`re angry because it`s “wrong,” point out that they`re wrong and they`re done. Did your mother ever tell you as a child to ignore bullies at school? Why try to run away from it or make a big deal out of it – I kiss him.
And as I sometimes liked to say, I`m not small, everyone is just tall 🙂 Dwarfism is a condition in which an organism is exceptionally small and occurs primarily in the animal kingdom. [1] In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 147 centimetres (4 ft 10 in), regardless of sex; The average adult height for people with dwarfism is 122 centimetres (4 ft 0 in), although some people with dwarfism are slightly taller. [2] [3] [4] Disproportionate dwarfism is characterized by either short limbs or a short torso. With proportional dwarfism, the limbs and trunk are unusually small. Intelligence is generally normal, and most have a near-normal life expectancy. [5] [6] People with dwarfism can usually give birth to children, although there are additional risks to both mother and child, depending on the underlying condition. Proportional dwarfism – dwarf conditions that cause the arms, legs, trunk and head to be in the same proportion (relative height to each other) as an average-sized person – is often the result of hormonal deficiency and can be treated medically, resulting in average or near-average height. There are no such treatments for people of disproportionate short stature.
A dwarf is an extremely small adult that is less than 58 inches tall. The word dwarf is considered pejorative and offensive. Both words describe a small person, but refer to different physical characteristics and genetic conditions. Dwarfism is a small stature resulting from a genetic or medical disease. Dwarfism is generally defined as an adult height of 4 feet 10 inches (147 centimeters) or less. The average adult height for people with dwarfism is 4 feet (122 cm). Some people prefer the term “short stature” or “little people” instead of “dwarf” or “dwarfism.” Therefore, it is important to be sensitive to the preference of a person with this disorder.
