pygmy peoples pygmy peoples in anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. the term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a population) for populations in which adult men are on average less than 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) tall. pygmy peoplesaka pygmies on the congo basin in 2014regions with significant populationscentral africa, oceania, southeast asia the term is primarily associated with the african pygmies, the hunter-gatherers of the congo basin (comprising the bambenga, bambuti and batwa). the terms "asiatic pygmies" and "oceanian pygmies" have been used to describe the negrito populations of southeast asia and australo-melanesian peoples of short stature. the taron people of myanmar are an exceptional case of a "pygmy" population of east asian phenotype. etymology a family from a ba aka pygmy village the term pygmy, as used to refer to diminutive people, derives from greek πυγμαῖος pygmaios via latin pygmaei (sing. pygmaeus), derived from πυγμή – meaning a short forearm cubit, or a measure of length corresponding to the distance from the wrist to the elbow or knuckles. (