pygmy

Pygmy is a non-scientific label used for several indigenous populations in Central Africa who, on average, have shorter stature than neighboring groups. It is not a single ethnicity, and its use has been the subject of debate among the communities themselves.

Groups commonly associated with the term include the Aka, Baka, and Mbuti of the Congo Basin, and the Twa in parts of the Great Lakes region. Traditionally, many of these communities are forest hunter-gatherers living in small, mobile bands. They speak diverse languages and maintain distinct cultural practices, often closely tied to knowledge of the forest and its resources.

Historically encountered by Bantu-speaking neighbors and colonial powers, pygmy groups have faced displacement, marginalization, and loss of land rights. While some communities have adopted settled livelihoods or wage labor, others maintain semi-nomadic or semi-sedentary ways. Health, education, and legal recognition remain ongoing concerns.

The term pygmy is controversial in some contexts, and many consider it inappropriate or insufficiently respectful; wherever possible, groups are identified by their own names. Outside anthropology, the term also appears in biology as a descriptor for small species, such as pygmy hippopotamuses and pygmy marmosets.