In J. R. R. Tolkien's legenarium, Hobbits are a diminutive race that inhabit the lands of Middle-earth. Known as "Halflings" to most and "Periannath" by the Elves, the word "Hobbit" is derived from the name "Holbytlan" which means "hole-dwellers" in the tongue of the Rohirrim (actually, Old English).