A Doriathrin name for the ᴹQ. Noldo from the same primitive root ᴹ√ÑGÓLOD (Ety/ÑGOLOD). In the entry for ÑGOLOD in The Etymologies, it appeared as (n)gold, indicating a variation of the usual rule that [[ilk|initial [ŋg] became [g]]] in Ilkorin. The second [o] of the primitive form was lost due to the Ilkorin syncope. Its genitive form golda also appeared as an element in the name Goldamir “✱Noldo-jewel” = Silmaril.
Quenya
noldo
proper name. one of the wise folk, Gnome
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
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.