noldo (ñ) noun "one of the people of the Noldor", "one of the wise folk, Gnome". Cf. the gloss "Gnome" in early "Qenya" (LT1:262). Also name of tengwa #19, that is used for the initial n of noldo in Tengwar spelling. Originally pronounced ngoldo (also spelt ñoldo by Tolkien, ÑGOLOD); initial ng had become n in Third Age pronunciation (Appendix E). Pl. Noldor ("Ñoldor"), "the Wise", name of the second clan of the Eldar (WJ:380, 381); gen. pl. Noldoron "of the Noldor" is attested (VT39:16)
Quenya
Noldor
noun. those that have knowledge
noldo
one of the people of the noldor
noldo
proper name. 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 √ÑGOL 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 Noldoli (LT1/21), but by the 1930s this had been replaced by ᴹQ.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 √ÑGOL “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.
Changes
- ŋoldo → ngoldo ✧ LotR/1123
Cognates
- Ed. Nóm “Wisdom” ✧ WJI/Noldor
- Ed. Sômar “Wisdom” ✧ WJI/Noldor
- S. golodh “lore-master, sage” ✧ MR/470; PE17/141
- S. Golodh “one of the wise folk, Noldo” ✧ PE17/153; PM/360; SA/golodh; SI/Golodhrim; SI/Noldor; WJ/364; WJI/Golodh; MR/350; WJ/383; WJI/Noldor
- T. Goldo “Noldo” ✧ PM/360; WJI/Goldo; WJ/383; WJI/Noldor
- S. Gódhel “(Exiled) Noldo” ✧ WJI/Noldor
Derivations
Derivatives
- S. Noll “Noldo” ✧ PE17/141
Element in
- Q. Argoldo “Noble Noldo”
- Q. Ingoldo “The Noldo” ✧ MR/230
- Q. Noldolantë “Fall of the Noldor” ✧ S/087
- Q. Noldo-quentasta Ingoldova “Ingoldo’s History of the Noldor” ✧ VT39/16
- Q. Noldóran “King of the Ñoldor”
- Q. Noldorin “of the Noldo; the Noldor language” ✧ LBI/Noldor; PE17/125; UTI/Noldor
- Q. Quenta Noldorinwa “the History of the Noldor” ✧ PM/030; VT39/16
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶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] ✧ PE19/076 ✶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 Variations
- noldo ✧ LotR/1123; MR/350; PE17/125
- ngoldo ✧ LotR/1123 (ngoldo)
- ñoldo ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/153; PE19/076
- ŋoldo ✧ RC/736 (ŋoldo)
- Ñoldo ✧ VT39/16; WJ/364; WJ/383
ñolda
dark-haired
†ñolda adj. "dark-haired" (PE17:125), associated with Noldor and hence not much used. Cf. nolya.
nolya
dark-haired
nolya ("ñ")adj. "dark-haired" (PE17:125), i.e. very dark brown
nolya
adjective. dark-haired, dark-haired, *brown-haired
A word for “dark-haired”, part of a paradigm in which the Elvish tribe names were derived from their predominant hair color, in notes perhaps from around 1959-60:
> √ÑGOL = dark-hued, dark-brown. OQ ñolda, dark-haired; but after special association with Clan, this was not much used; the colour word taking form ñolya (cf. vanya [= blonde > Vanyar]). The predominant colour of Noldorin hair was very dark brown; no Elf had absolute black hair (PE17/125).
In earlier iterations of this concept, Tolkien instead had Q. {losca, loksa “brown of hair” >> hrúva >>} hróva “dark, dark brown (of hair)”, but Tolkien then added ñolda as an alternative before marking the entire note as rejected (PE17/154-155).
Neo-Quenya: In this paradigm, Tolkien (temporarily) rejected the notion that √ÑGOL referred to wisdom, but this meaning was restored later (e.g. on PM/340 from 1968). However, I still think nolya might be used for “brown-haired” by way of a reversal of the association, where it referred to hair like the Noldor rather than being the basis of the tribe name.
Derivations
- √ÑGOL “dark-hued, dark-brown” ✧ PE17/125
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ÑGOL > ñolya [ŋgolja] > [ŋolja] > [nolja] ✧ PE17/125 Variations
- ñolya ✧ PE17/125
those that have knowledge