Winkies & House Elves

[Trina]

No: HPFGUIDX 17395

Jen F wrote: 

The Winkies are the group enslaved by the Wicked Witch of the West in 
*The Wizard of Oz*, who are freed by Dorothy.  I don't have my copy 
of the book here, but I vaguely remember that they're different from 
the way they were portrayed in the movie -- are they more elflike?  
They are happy to be liberated,IIRC.  I think it is likely that 
Winky's name alludes to these people; do others agree?  Are there 
other Oz allusions?


The Winkie people in Oz were, IIRC, much like the Munchkins, but wore 
yellow and were in the west of Oz, opposite Munchkinland, which was, 
pre-Dorothy, controlled by the Wicked Witch of the East. And, like 
the Munchkins, the Winkies were liberated by the death of the 
Witch.   

I never made a connection between Winky and and the Winkies, but 
given JKR's many literary references, I wouldn't be surprised.


I have my own query about the house-elves, regarding to their names.  
Both Dobby and Winky have diminutized names--they both end in 'y'.  
Little kids learning language (at least in English) have a tendency 
to put "ee" sound at the end of words (horsie, doggie, mummy, daddy) 
because it is easier to say rather than final consonants.  Anyway, to 
my point.  Are all house-elves names similar? If so, is it another 
way that wizards consider them 'child-like' and keep them under 
control?    

Trina