Q. Noldo [ñ-] pn. “one of the wise folk, Gnome”
An Elf of the second tribe, known as “The Wise” (WJ/383). Their name developed from the primitive root √ÑGOL¹ having to do with wisdom (PM/360, WJ/383).
Conceptual Development: The name ᴱQ. Noldo dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, and in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, where it already had the derivation given above (QL/67). In Tolkien’s earlier writings, he often translated this name as “Gnome”, in the sense of the Greek origin of this word (having to do with thought and wisdom) rather than that of a dwarf-like creature. This translation of ᴹQ. Noldo continued to appear in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/201), but became less common in Tolkien’s later writings, and was not used in the published version of The Silmarillion.
In Tolkien’s earliest writings, the plural form of this word was usually ᴱQ. Noldoli (LT1/21), but by the 1930s this had been replaced by ᴹQ. Noldor (LR/119), the form that was used thereafter.
In notes from the 1950s, Tolkien considered an alternate etymology of this name from the root √ÑGOL² “dark-hued, dark-brown” referring to their dark hair (PE17/125), just as the tribal name of the Vanya referred to their fair hair. Presumably he considered this alternate origin because the newly-awakened Noldor would not yet have been known for their wisdom, but there is no evidence that this alternate etymology was anything other than a transient idea.
References ✧ LBI/Noldor; Let/176; LotR/1123; LotRI/Eldar, Noldor; MR/230, 350, 470; MRI/Noldor; PE17/86, 125, 141, 153; PE18/73; PE19/76; PM/30, 360; PMI/Noldor; RC/736; S/87; SA/golodh, gûl; SI/Golodhrim, Noldor; UTI/Noldor; VT39/16; WJ/364, 380, 383; WJI/Goldo, Golodh, Noldor
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Inflections
| Noldorion | genitive plural | ✧ PM/30 | |
| Ñoldoron | genitive plural | “of the Noldor” | ✧ VT39/16 |
| Noldor | plural | ✧ LBI/Noldor; LotRI/Eldar; LotRI/Noldor; MR/230; MRI/Noldor; PE17/86; PMI/Noldor; SA/gûl; UTI/Noldor; WJI/Noldor | |
| Noldor | plural | “Masters of Lore” | ✧ Let/176 |
| Noldor | plural | “those that have knowledge” | ✧ PE18/73 |
| Noldor | plural | “the Wise” | ✧ SI/Noldor |
| Ñoldor | plural | “lore-masters” | ✧ MR/350 |
| Ñoldor | plural | ✧ WJ/380 | |
| Ñoldor | plural | “the Wise” | ✧ WJ/383 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Derivatives
Phonetic Developments
| ✶ngolodō > Ñoldor | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ MR/350 |
| ✶ngolodō > noldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ MR/350 |
| ✶ngolodõ > Noldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ MR/470 |
| AQ. ñolda > ŋoldo > noldo | [ŋgoldo] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE17/125 |
| ✶ñgolodō > ñoldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE17/153 |
| ✶ñgolodō > ñoldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE19/76 |
| ✶Ñgolodō > Noldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PM/360 |
| √ngol- > Noldor | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ SA/gûl |
| ✶ñgolodō > Ñoldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ WJ/364 |
| ✶ñgolodō > Ñoldor | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ WJ/380 |
| ✶ñgolodō > Ñoldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ WJ/383 |
ᴹQ. Noldo [ñ-] pn. “one of the wise folk, Gnome”
References ✧ Ety/ÑGOLOD; EtyAC/ÑGOL; LBI/Golodh; LR/119, 168; LRI/Noldoli, Noldor; PE18/23, 40; PE19/36, 58; PE21/8; PE22/19, 22, 51; RSI/Noldor; SDI2/Noldor; SM/85; SMI/Golodh, Noldor; TI/167; TII/Noldor; WRI/Noldor
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Inflections
| Noldoli | plural | ✧ LR/119; LRI/Noldoli | |
| Noldoli | plural | “Deep-elves” | ✧ SM/85 |
| Noldor | plural | ✧ LR/119; LRI/Noldoli; LRI/Noldor; PE19/36; RSI/Noldor; SDI2/Noldor; SMI/Noldor; WRI/Noldor | |
| Noldor | plural | “The Wise” | ✧ LR/168 |
| Noldor | plural | “Gnomes” | ✧ PE18/23 |
| Noldor | plural | “Elven-wise” | ✧ TI/167; TII/Noldor |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√ÑGÓLOD > noldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ Ety/ÑGOLOD |
| ᴹ√ŊGÓLODŌ > ŋoldo > noldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE18/40 |
| ᴹ✶ñgolodō > ñoldo | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE19/36 |
| ᴹ✶ñgòlodṓ > ñgoldṓ | [ŋgolodō] > [ŋgoldō] > [ŋoldō] > [ŋoldo] > [noldo] | ✧ PE19/58 |
ᴱQ. Noldo pn. “Gnome”
References ✧ GG/13; GL/32, 41; LBI/Golda, Noldoli; LT1/21, 50, 162; LT1A/Noldoli; LT1I/Noldoli, Noldor; LT2I/Noldoli, Noldor; PE13/99, 145; PE14/9, 42, 45, 47-48, 71, 79, 81; PE15/72; PME/67; QL/67; SM/13; SMI/Noldoli; WJI/Noldor
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Inflections
| noldantar | allative plural | “to the gnomes” | ✧ PE14/47 |
| noldolinta(r) | allative plural | ✧ PE14/47 | |
| †noldolinta(r) | allative plural | ✧ PE14/79 | |
| noldontar | allative plural | “to the gnomes” | ✧ PE14/79 |
| Noldolion | genitive plural | “of the Gnomes” | ✧ PE14/48 |
| Noldolion | genitive plural | “of (or among) the Gnomes” | ✧ PE14/81 |
| noldolion | genitive plural | “of ... gnomes” | ✧ PE14/42; PE14/71 |
| NOLDOR | plural | “Gnomes” | ✧ PE13/99 |
| Noldoli | plural | ✧ GL/32; LBI/Noldoli; LT1/50; LT1A/Noldoli; LT2I/Noldoli; PE13/145; PE14/9; SMI/Noldoli; WJI/Noldor | |
| Noldoli | plural | “Gnomes” | ✧ LT1/21; LT1I/Noldoli |
| Noldoli | plural | “Gnomes, Deep-elves” | ✧ SM/13 |
| Noldor | plural | ✧ LT1/162; LT1I/Noldor; LT2I/Noldor; PE14/9 | |
| noldoli | plural | “gnomes” | ✧ PE14/42; PE14/71 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Derivatives