An ancient name for the kingdom of the Noldor in Beleriand (LR/253), derived from a primitive word Ṇ̃golondē where the initial ñ- became syllabic and was therefore not lost (PE19/77). The meaning of the suffix -ndë is unclear, but a similar formation appears in the name Elendë “Elfland”; some of Tolkien’s notes from the 1930s indicate it may have been the result of ancient nasal-infixion (PE18/40).
Conceptual Development: This name was not used in the published version of The Silmarillion, but ᴹQ. Ingolonde appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/108, LR/253), where it was translated “Kingdom of the Gnomes” (LR/253). The name appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ÑGOLOD, where it is translated as “Land of the Gnomes” (Ety/ÑGOLOD). Its more detailed derivation (as noted above) appeared in the Tolkien’s writing on Quenya Phonology (PE19), in both the first version from the 1930s (PE19/36) and in the later version from the 1950s (PE19/77).
A possible early precursor to this name, ᴱQ. Noldomar “Gnomeland” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/67); see that entry for discussion.
Gnome-realm