Noldor

noun. those that have knowledge

those that have knowledge

noldo

one of the people of the noldor

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)

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 Noldoli (LT1/21), but by the 1930s this had been replaced by ᴹQ.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.

noldorin

proper name. of the Noldo; the Noldor language

Term for the Quenya dialect of the Noldor, as well as a general adjective for that tribe (WJ/373), a combination of their tribal name with the language/adjective suffix -rin.

Conceptual Development: In earlier writings from the 1920s-40s, ᴹQ. Noldorin referred to a completely different language, the Welsh-like language of the second tribe (LR/177, 193), but Tolkien later changed that language to Sindarin and decided that the Noldor spoke a dialect of Quenya.

Noldóran

king of the noldor

Noldóran ("ñ")noun "King of the Noldor" (PM:343; evidently noldo + aran).

mólanoldorin

the language of the noldor enslaved by morgoth

mólanoldorin noun "the language of the Noldor enslaved by Morgoth" _(MŌ)_(Changed by Tolkien from múlanoldorin.)

múlanoldorin

the language of the noldor enslaved by morgoth

[múlanoldorin] noun "the language of the Noldor enslaved by Morgoth" (MŌ)(Changed by Tolkien to mólanoldorin.)

quenta noldorinwa

proper name. the History of the Noldor

Another title for the Quenta Silmarillion (WJ/27). It is a combination of quenta “tale” and the possessive form of Noldorin. As Noldorin is itself already an adjective, this name is best understood as the “Tale of the Noldorin (People)”.

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Qenta Noldorinwa was Tolkien’s original title of the cycle of tales that eventually became The Silmarillion (SM/77). Later, Tolkien introduced the name ᴹQ. Qenta Silmarillion which became the full title of the tales, while Quenta Noldorinwa became an alternate title (LR/202).

In later writings, this name appeared with a number of variations. In some cases its final element was the genitive plural of Noldo: Noldoron (VT39/16) or Noldorion (PM/30). Sometimes its initial element was quentalë “history” (VT39/16). This entry uses Quenta Noldorinwa for consistency with its earlier form.

Etyangoldi

exiled noldor

Etyangoldi ("ñ")noun "Exiled Noldor" _(WJ:374). _Sg. probably *Etyangol* (with stem Etyangold**-).

Noldolantë

the fall of the noldor

Noldolantë (ñ) noun "the Fall of the Noldor" (name of a song) (Silm)

etya

exiled noldor

#etya adj. initial element of Etyangoldor "Exiled Noldor", literal meaning likely something like "outer" or "outside" as adjective; compare preposition et.

etyangoldi

collective name. Exiled Noldor

A term for the Noldor as exiles (WJ/374). It is a compound of the adjective etya “exiled” and an archaic plural ✶Ñgoldi of Noldo.

ingolondë

place name. Country of the Noldor

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.

noldolantë

proper name. Fall of the Noldor

A lament for the sins of the Noldor at the kinslaying in Alqualondë (S/87). It is a compound of the words Noldo and lantë “fall”.

tatyar

collective name. Seconds (original clan name of the Noldor)

An ancient name for the Noldor as the second tribe of Elves (WJ/380). It is simply the archaic adjective †tatya “second” used as a plural noun.

noldo-quentasta ingoldova

Ingoldo’s History of the Noldor