What was the relationship between Orcs and Goblins?
[This supplements question V.F.1 of the Tolkien FAQ.] The words “Orc” and “Goblin” are essentially identical in meaning, but Tolkien’s inconsistent usage in The Hobbit has led to considerable confusion. Still, a clear answer comes from Tolkien’s introductory note to later editions of that book, which explains that Orc is not an English word. It occurs in one or two places but is usually translated goblin (or hobgoblin for the larger kinds). Orc is the hobbits’ form of the name given at that time to these creatures. Some have taken this and other comments in The Hobbit (such as the reference to “the big ones, the orcs of the mountains” near the end of “Riddles in the Dark”) to mean that “Goblins” were smaller and “Orcs” larger. However, Tolkien did not generally make this distinction. For instance, the name Orcrist is translated “Goblin-cleaver” in all editions of The Hobbit. Another clear example comes from the chapter “The Riders of Rohan” in LotR, when the companions reach the edge o
