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

noun. Noldo

Noldo, Gnome

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 Noldoli (LT1/21), but by the 1930s this had been replaced by ᴹQ.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

Noldorinwa

gnomish

Noldorinwa (ñ) adj. *"Gnomish", "Noldorin", "of the Noldor" (LT1:262, VT39:16); lower-case noldorinwa in Narqelion.

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.

ñolda

dark-haired

†ñolda adj. "dark-haired" (PE17:125), associated with Noldor and hence not much used. Cf. nolya.

caila

lying in bed, bedridden, sickness

caila ("k")adj.(and noun???) "lying in bed, bedridden, sickness" (KAY, VT45:19). It may be that the gloss "sickness" applies only to the "Noldorin"/Sindarin form cael listed before Quenya caila, since cael could be both an adjective and a noun (the ancient adjective kailā "bedridden" merging with the noun kailē "sickness"). In Quenya the form caila < *_kailā _would probably be an adjective only.

culda

flame-coloured, golden-red

culda ("k")adj. "flame-coloured, golden-red" (KUL); maybe it can also be translated "scarlet", since this gloss was listed for the possible "Noldorin"/Sindarin cognate coll(VT45:24), though it was struck out

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

nyarro

rat

nyarro noun "rat", the most likely reading of Tolkien's manuscript. Christopher Tolkien originally read the word as "nyano" (so in the published Etymologies, entry NYAD), but the "Noldorin"/Sindarin cognates nadhr, nadhor (VT46:7) indicate that the primitive form is meant to be *nyadrō, which form could hardly yield "nyano" in Quenya.

quesset

pillow

quesset ("q")noun "pillow"; probably *quessec*- since the Sindarin (or "Noldorin") cognate pesseg points to a primitive form kwessek- (compare filit, filic**-) (KWES)

caimassë

lying in bed, sickness

caimassë ("k")noun "lying in bed, sickness" (KAY)

culina

flame-coloured, golden-red

culina ("k")adj. "flame-coloured, golden-red" (KUL; cullina ("k") in VT45:24 would seem to be a variant)

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

nolya

dark-haired

nolya ("ñ")adj. "dark-haired" (PE17:125), i.e. very dark brown

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister