nóla

wise, learned

nóla ("ñ") (1) adj. "wise, learned" (ÑGOL) (note that this and the next nóla would be spelt differently in Tengwar writing, and originally they were also pronounced differently, since nóla "wise, learned" was ñóla in First Age Quenya).

Nolmë

knowledge, philosophy (including science)

Nolmë ("ñ")noun "knowledge, Philosophy (including Science)" (PM:360 cf. 344)

canya

adjective. wise

handë

knowledge, understanding, intelligence

handë noun "knowledge, understanding, intelligence" (KHAN). Note: *handë is (probably) also the past tense of the verb har- "sit".

isqua

wise

isqua ("q") adj. "wise" (LT2:339).

issë

knowledge, lore

issë noun "knowledge, lore" (LT2:339; rather ista or istya in Tolkien's later Quenya)

ista

knowledge

ista (1) noun "knowledge" (IS). Also istya.

istare

noun. knowledge

istima

adjective. wise, knowledgeable, v.well informed

istya

knowledge

istya noun "knowledge" (IS). Also ista (#1).

iswa

wise

iswa adj. "wise" (LT2:339); rather saila in Tolkiens later Quenya.

saila

wise

#saila adj. "wise" (isolated from alasaila [q.v.] "unwise" in a late source)

saila

adjective. wise

Cognates

• S. sael “wise”

Derivations

• ᴹ√SAY “know, understand”

Element in

• Q. alasaila “unwise” ✧ VT41/18
• ᴺQ. sailiendil “philosopher”

saira

wise

saira adj. "wise" (SAY, VT46:12; a later source has the alternative formation #saila as above)

tára

wise

tára (2) ?"wise". (From tentative notes trying to explain Daur [unlenited *Taur] as Sindarin name of Frodo; the more normal word for "wise" seems to be saila/saira.)

tára

adjective. wise

Derivations

• ✶dāra “wise” ✧ PE17/102

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶dāra > tāra	[dāra] > [tāra]	✧ PE17/102

Variations

• tāra ✧ PE17/102

gûl

noun. knowledge

n. knowledge, deep knowledge not 'occult' in modern sense, but applied to the deper knowledge of the 'wise' or skilled persons, not kept secret (as [?among the] Elves) but not attainable by all. Q. ñōle, B.S. gûl phantom, shadow of dark magic, necromancer, slave, servant?. The B.S. word gûl was prob. derived from ngōl-.

sael

adjective. wise

sael

adjective. wise

Cognates

• Q. saila “wise”

Derivations

• ᴹ√SAY “know, understand”

Element in

• S. Arahael
• S. Dírhael “*Wise Man”
• S. Iorhael “Frodo”
• S. Panthael “Fullwise” ✧ SD/126
• S. Perhael “Samwise, (lit.) Half-wise” ✧ PE17/102
• ᴺS. saelas “wisdom”
• S. Saelind “Wise-heart” ✧ MR/305
• S. Saelon
• ᴺS. saelor “advisor”

Variations

• Sael ✧ MR/305 (Sael)

idhren

wise

idhren (pondering, thoughtful), pl. idhrin. 4) goll (lenited ngoll, pl. gyll). 5) golwen (learned in deep arts), lenited ngolwen, pl. gelwin (archaic *gölwin)

idhren

wise

(pondering, thoughtful), pl. idhrin. 4) goll (lenited ngoll, pl. gyll). 5) golwen (learned in deep arts), lenited ngolwen, pl. gelwin (archaic ✱gölwin)

ist

knowledge

ist (lore); no distinct pl. form.

ist

knowledge

(lore); no distinct pl. form.

ista

have knowledge

(i ista, in istar), pa.t. sint or istas (VT45:18).

noen

wise

(sensible). Pl. form (if any) uncertain. The archaic form of the word is given as nohen (VT46:7), which would have the pl. form nöhin. If the regular change of ö to e occured before the loss of h, the pl. form of noen could be nain for older nein.

sael

wise

1) sael (lenited hael; no distinct pl. form), 2) noen (sensible). Pl. form (if any) uncertain. The archaic form of the word is given as nohen (VT46:7), which would have the pl. form nöhin. If the regular change of ö to e occured before the loss of h, the pl. form of noen could be nain for older nein. 3)

sael

wise

(lenited hael; no distinct pl. form)

ñgol

root. knowledge, wisdom, lore, knowledge, wisdom, lore; [ᴹ√] wise, be wise

This root was connected to Elvish words for “wisdom” for much of Tolkien’s life, the most notable derivative being Q. Noldo. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s it was given as ᴱ√ŇOL(O) “know”, where the Ň almost certainly represented velar nasal Ŋ (QL/67). It was originally given simply as ŇOLDO “goblin, gnome” along with a derivative ᴱQ. noldare “mole”, but the “goblin” entries were removed and “mole” was transferred to ᴱ√NDOLO “delve”, so the connection of this root to knowledge was a very early decision. In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon primitives forms were likewise given as ᴱ✶ŋolđō > G. golda “gnome, wise one” (GL/41).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√ÑGOL “wise, wisdom, be wise” along with an extended form ᴹ√ÑGOLOD serving as the basis for ᴹQ. Noldo/N. Golodh (Ety/ÑGOL; ÑGOLOD). This root and its extended form were mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings, with glosses like “knowledge” (PE17/79) and “knowledge, wisdom, lore” (WJ/383), and in one place Tolkien clarified that it was “deep knowledge not ‘occult’ in modern sense, but applied to the deeper knowledge of the ‘wise’ or skilled persons, not kept secret ... but [also] not attainable by all” (PE17/79).

Derivatives

• Bs. gûl “phantom, shadow of dark magic, wraith; †black arts, sorcery” ✧ PE17/079
• ✶ñgōlē “Science/Philosophy as a whole” ✧ PM/360
  • Q. ingolë “lore, science, philosophy, lore, science, philosophy; [ᴹQ.] deep lore, magic” ✧ PM/360
• ✶ñgolodō “lore-master, sage” ✧ PM/360; WJ/383
  • Q. Ingoldo “The Noldo” ✧ PM/360
  • S. Fingolfin ✧ PE17/118
  • Wes. Ingold ✧ PM/360
  • Aq. ñgoldō “Noldo”
  • Q. Noldo “one of the wise folk, Gnome” ✧ MR/350; MR/470; PE17/141; PE17/153; PE19/076; PM/360; WJ/364; WJ/380; WJ/383
  • S. Noll “Noldo” ✧ PE17/141
  • S. Angolodh “The Noldo” ✧ PM/360
  • S. Golodh “one of the wise folk, Noldo” ✧ MR/350; PE17/153; PM/360; WJ/364; WJ/379; WJ/383
  • S. golodh “lore-master, sage” ✧ MR/470; PE17/139; PE17/140; PE17/141
  • T. Goldo “Noldo” ✧ PM/360; WJ/383
• Q. ingolë “lore, science, philosophy, lore, science, philosophy; [ᴹQ.] deep lore, magic” ✧ WJ/383
• Q. Noldo “one of the wise folk, Gnome” ✧ SA/gûl
  • S. Noll “Noldo” ✧ PE17/141
• Q. nólë “lore, knowledge, long study, lore, knowledge, long study; [ᴹQ.] wisdom” ✧ PE17/079; SA/gûl; WJ/383
• ᴺQ. nolmar “school, university, (lit.) wisdom-house”
• Q. nolmë “knowledge, philosophy (including science), department of wisdom (science, etc.)” ✧ PM/360
• Q. nolmo “wise person” ✧ PM/360
• ᴺQ. nolta- “to teach, *educate, tutor, (lit.) make knowledgable”
• ᴺQ. nolya- “to study, learn”
• ᴺS. golbar “school, university, (lit.) wisdom-house”
• ᴺS. golthor “teacher”
• S. gûl “black arts, sorcery, (evil) knowledge, black arts, sorcery, (evil) knowledge, [N.] magic; [ᴱN.] wisdom” ✧ PE17/079; SA/gûl; WJ/383
  • Bs. gûl “phantom, shadow of dark magic, wraith; †black arts, sorcery” ✧ PE17/031; PE17/125
• T. engole “lore” ✧ WJ/383
• T. góle “long study (of any subject)” ✧ WJ/383

Element in

• √ÑGOLOD “*one of the wise folk, Gnome, [ᴹ√] one of the wise folk, Gnome”
• Q. Nolofinwë ✧ PM/344
• ᴺS. gelia- “to learn”
• ᴺS. goltha- “to teach, educate, tutor, (lit.) make knowledgable”

Variations

• ngōl- ✧ PE17/079
• Ñolo ✧ PM/344
• ñgol-/ñgōlo- ✧ PM/360
• ngol- ✧ SA/gûl
• NGOL ✧ WJ/383

ñgol

root. dark-hued, dark-brown

In most places, Tolkien assigned the root √ÑGOL the meaning “knowledge, wisdom”, and it was the source of the tribal name of the Noldor. In one set of late notes, however, Tolkien said:

> Delete all references of Noldo to “wisdom, lore”! This characteristic only clearly seen later — the Tribal names must be early formations ... √ÑGOL = dark-hued, dark-brown ... The predominant colour of Ñoldorin hair was very dark brown (PE17/125).

The problem with this scenario is that elsewhere the root √ÑGOL is deeply associated with wisdom. Although Tolkien did not explicitly reject √ÑGOL “dark-hued, dark-brown”, this scenario is mentioned nowhere else. Nevertheless, it is possible that the Primitive Quenderin sense of ÑGOL was originally “dark-hued, dark-brown” and the root later developed the meaning “knowledge, wisdom” by association with the Noldor, replacing the older meaning. If so, perhaps the only survival of the original meaning is the word Q. ñolya “dark-haired”. Alternately, ñolya might mean “hair like the Noldor (dark)”.

Derivatives

• Aq. ñolda “dark-haired” ✧ PE17/125
  • Q. Noldo “one of the wise folk, Gnome” ✧ PE17/125
  • S. Noll “Noldo” ✧ PE17/141
• Q. nolya “dark-haired, dark-haired, *brown-haired” ✧ PE17/125

Variations

• ÑGOL ✧ PE17/125; PE17/169

dāra

adjective. wise

Changes

• ndāra/nāra → dāra ✧ PE17/102

Derivatives

• Q. tára “wise” ✧ PE17/102
• S. Daur “Frodo” ✧ PE17/102

Variations

• ndāra/nāra ✧ PE17/102 (ndāra/nāra)

goll

adjective. wise

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nóla “wise, learned” ✧ Ety/ÑGOL

Derivations

• ᴹ✶ñgolda “wise” ✧ Ety/ÑGOL
  • ᴹ√ÑGOL “wise, wisdom, be wise” ✧ Ety/ÑGOL

Element in

• N. gollor “magician” ✧ Ety/ÑGOL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶ngolda > goll	[ŋgolda] > [golda] > [golða] > [golð] > [goll]	✧ Ety/ÑGOL

goll

adjective. wise

golwen

adjective. wise, learned in deep arts

ista-

verb. to have knowledge

noen

adjective. wise, sensible

sail

adjective. wise

Cognates

• ᴹQ. saira “wise”

Derivations

• ᴹ√SAY “know, understand”

Element in

• N. Iorhail “Frodo”
• N. Lanhail “Plain-wise”
• N. Perhail “Halfwise” ✧ SD/118