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[–] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

Hobbits are a race of Man.

In the same way the Noldor or the Sindar are races of elves and the Petty-Dwarves are a race of dwarves.

Frodo Baggins is a grown ass man by any definition of the term.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

    Kind of.

    Tolkien presented hobbits as relatives of the human race,[T 4] or a "variety"[T 6][11] or separate "branch"[T 7] of humanity.[11] In Tolkien's fictional world, hobbits and other races are aware of the similarities between humans and hobbits (hence the colloquial terms for each other of "Big People" and "Little People"); nevertheless, hobbits consider themselves a separate people.[T 8]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Description

    Considering the vastly different physical and mental characteristics I think it's probably more fair to view them like we view Orangutans and Humans as all belonging to one taxonomic family but not being the same species. In that regard hobbits are not men.

    Edit: or probably more accurately, a genus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo in which case I think I concede you're right after all, no matter how much I don't like the thought of hobbits being men

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