Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun
If I recall ROTK correctly, the reason the Gondorians referred to Pippin as "The Prince of the Halflings" was simply due to rumours that sprang up around him...With the apprehension prevalent in the city at that time, it was only natural for wishful thinking to elevate Pippin in their eyes to the status of a leader of a Halfling army that would stand with them against Mordor. It had nothing to do with any respect or fear of his combat prowess.
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I don't think anybody in Gondor was looking forward to relief from a hobbit army -
tuckborough.net says it nicely:
Ernil i Pheriannath (Prince of the Halflings):
He was thought to be a person of high rank because he was in the company of Gandalf and because he used the familiar form of address at all times, as was customary in the Shire, even when speaking to Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. (RotK: "Minas Tirith," p. 41; Appendix F of LotR, p. 411)
I believe that any hobbit in any fashion could be a "warrior" in different senses of the word. Frodo, the most merciful of the bunch, was a warrior in his own right. You do not have to be physically violent to be a warrior. But in the context that the BFME Pip used the term sounds like it meant as an actual warrior - in which Pippin was, having fought in many overwhelming battles. Merry and Sam were also. In fact, I would say all the hobbits that were involved with ousting Saruman from the Shire were all warriors. Hobbits didn't like war, and I don't think Pippin or any other hobbit would ever say that they did, or claim to be your typical "warrior", like Boromir, for example. The hobbits fought - they were warriors, and they could do it again - if provoked, although it is not their nature.