Borrowers

Borrowers are tiny people. An adult Borrower is typically about five or six inches tall (twelve to fifteen centimetres). Their hands and feet are proportionally longer than those of human beings, to help them climb easily. They survive by “borrowing” the possessions and food of humans.

History
Most of their history is unknown. However, it is true that there are old stories of "little people" in some parts of England. The Boy theorizes that because they were always so frightened, they gradually became smaller and more hidden by each generation. In The Borrowers Avenged, Arrietty has the thought that Borrowers could even be descended from humans.

Although they were once widespread, only a few Borrowers appear during the series, and it is hinted that they may be dying out.

Culture
While Borrowers are physiologically distinct from humans, and have very little direct contact with their larger relatives, their culture is remarkably similar to that of human beings. They seem to "borrow" the culture of the big people they live amongst, adopting the local humans' language and general way of life. A Borrower's place of residence within a house can affect their style of living, as one's location can determine which resources they have access to, creating a sort of class system.

Even the names of Borrowers are not original. Their given names are often nouns (e.g. Pod, Homily, and Milligram), or appear to be derived from human names (e.g. Hendreary from Henry, or Eggletina from Tina). Their surnames are taken from where they live; for example, the Clock family gets their name from the hole under a grandfather clock that serves as the entrance to their home.

It can be inferred that the religious beliefs of Borrowers differ from those of humans, though they do seem to have a concept of sin, and at least some of them believe in a deity along the lines of the Christian God. While their exact creation myth remains a mystery, they do believe that humans were "invented" to serve Borrowers.

Borrowing
Borrowing is the practice of Borrowers taking small objects from humans and using them for their own needs. These items are rarely, if ever, given back. They try to take things that humans "won't miss" if gone, and potentially useful items will be ignored if the risk of humans noticing their absence is too high.

Humans often consider "borrowing" to be a form of theft, and Borrowers insist that this is not the case. To them, "theft" is when a Borrower takes things from a fellow Borrower; Borrowers taking things from humans is simply the natural way of things.

Families
Most borrowers are named after the place where they live.
 * Overmantels
 * Harpsichords
 * Rain-Barrels
 * Linen-Presses
 * Boot-racks
 * Hon. John Studdingtons (lived behind a picture)
 * Stove-Pipes
 * Bell-Pulls
 * Clocks
 * Wainscots
 * Knife Machines

Individual Borrowers

 * Arrietty Clock
 * Pod Clock: Arrietty's father
 * Homily Clock: Arrietty's mother
 * Dreadful Spiller
 * Hendreary: uncle of Arrietty
 * Lupy: aunt of Arrietty
 * Eggletina: Hendreary's daughter
 * Timmis: Hendreary and Lupy's youngest son
 * Two sons of Hendreary and Lupy, named Ditchley and Ilrick in The Return of the Borrowers
 * Peagreen Overmantel
 * Oggin: a cousin of Lupy who was kept as a pet in a tin bath by humans
 * Milligram: Homily's sister
 * Uncle Bolty: Homily's uncle
 * Stainless Knife Machine: a character appearing in Poor Stainless