MikeLigalig.com

dwarves or dwarfs?

Dwarfs vs. dwarves

Dwarfs is the standard plural of the noun dwarf. Dwarves is a newer variant popularized (though not invented) by English author J.R.R. Tolkien in his fantasy fiction works, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Tolkien spelling is appropriate when referring to little people in fantasy worlds. Dwarfs is better everywhere else. (There is controversy over whether dwarf is ever a polite term for real-life people, but we won’t go into that here.)

Dwarf also works as a verb meaning to cause to appear small in size. In this sense, dwarf is inflected dwarfs, not dwarves, in the third-person singular present tense.

more at http://grammarist.com/usage/dwarfs-dwarves/

On August 9, 1934...

...Walt Disney had suggested from the beginning that each of the dwarfs, whose names and personalities are not stated in the original fairy tale, could have individual personalities. The dwarfs names were chosen from a pool of about fifty potentials, including Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy. (wikipedia)

The seven finalists were chosen through a process of elimination. The leader of the dwarfs, required to be pompous, self-important and bumbling, was named Doc; others were named for their distinguishing character traits. At the end of the October story meetings, however, only Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sleepy and Happy of the final seven were named; at this point, Sneezy and Dopey were replaced by 'Jumpy' and an unnamed seventh dwarf. (wikipedia)

The names and personalities of the dwarfs, however, were still "open to change". A meeting of November 16 resulted in another outline entitled 'Dwarfs Discover Snowwhite', which introduced the character of Dopey, who would ultimately prove to be the most successful and popular of the dwarf characterisations. (wikipedia)

where did the name sneezy come from then?  i couldn't find it so far.

There is a formula to help remember the seven dwarfs...

2 S's - Sleepy, Sneezy
2 D's - Doc, Dopey
3 emotions - Happy, Bashful, Grumpy

Dopey
the youngest, sweetest, and silliest of the seven, and the only one to be completely bald and beardless; wears a too large lime green tunic and purple cap

Grumpy
the grouchiest and most curmudgeonly of the group, though even he is supremely devoted to the beautiful Snow White; wears a red tunic, long white hair and beard

Doc
the only one of the dwarfs to wear glasses (so presumably the most intellectual); wears an orange-brown tunic, long white hair and beard

Happy
the most rotund of the dwarfs; wears a brownish two-tone tunic, yellow cap, long white hair and beard

Bashful
evokes his bashful nature through a classic pose of shyness (hands clasped behind back, shoulders slightly raised, eyes upturned)

Sneezy
frequently shown with one finger underneath his nose, as if trying to stifle a sneeze; wears a yellow-brown tunic, long white hair and beard

Sleepy
wears a perpetually sleepy look, heavily lidded expression on his face; wears a brownish tunic, green cap, long white hair and beard

http://wiki.answers.com/, images from various online sources