Ent-folk

A general term for the people of the Ents, tree-like beings who dwelt in the forests of Middle-earth and were charged with their protection. During earlier times, the Ents were widespread throughout Middle-earth, even wandering through the lands of Beleriand. In the battles at the end of the First Age, Beleriand was lost, but the Ent-folk still inhabited the wide forests that extended across broad swathes of the lands of Middle-earth.

As time passed, these wide forested lands began to be lost. The Númenóreans travelled to Middle-earth seeking timber, and cut back the immense forests they found there until, after thousands of years of logging, only a tiny remnant remained. This 'East End' of the once-dominant forest was commonly known as the Entwood or Fangorn Forest, and was the main refuge of the Ent-folk in later times. Meanwhile lands eastward of the Great River had been the gardens of the Entwives, but these were obliterated during the War of the Last Alliance.

So, by the end of the Third Age the Ent-folk were much reduced, to a hidden people dwelling in the old dark Entwood, nearly forgotten by the outside world. A slow and thoughtful people, they were nonetheless roused to anger at the end of the Third Age, and their actions helped to turn to the tide of the War of the Ring and bring about Saruman's defeat.

'Ent-folk' is a collective plural, referring to the Ents as an entire people (and presumably also including the Entwives). In that sense it is a direct equivalent of the Elvish name Onodrim (where onod means 'Ent' and -rim describes a 'folk' or 'people'). A less formal Elvish word to describe (for example) a small group of Ents would be the simple plural Enyd.