Editing Noldor (section)

== Etymology and origins ==

"Noldor" or "Ñoldor" means those who have great knowledge and understanding. The Noldor are called ''Golodhrim'' or ''Gódhellim'' in [[Sindarin]], and ''Goldui'' by another kindred of Elves, the [[Falmari|Teleri]] of [[Tol Eressëa]]. The singular form of the [[Quenya]] noun is ''Noldo'' and the adjective is ''Noldorin'', which is also the name of [[ Elvish languages (Middle-earth)#Noldorin|their dialect of Quenya]].<ref name="Clan-names" group=T/>

In early drafts of [[Tolkien's legendarium|his legendarium]], Tolkien used the name "[[Gnome]]s" for the group later called the Noldor, and their language, the Noldorin dialect of Sindarin, was called "Gnomish" or "Noldorin".<ref name="Fimi 2006"/><ref name="Hemmi 2010">{{cite journal |last=Hemmi |first=Yoko |title=Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' and His Concept of ''Native Language'': Sindarin and British-Welsh |journal=[[Tolkien Studies]] |volume=7 |issue=1 |year=2010 |doi=10.1353/tks.0.0063 |pages=147–174 |s2cid=170366632 }}</ref> Tolkien had chosen "gnome" thinking that it derived from the Greek [[wikt:γνῶσις|γνῶσις]], ''gnōsis'' (knowledge), and hence was a good name for the wisest of the elves. However, because of its common association with [[garden gnome]]s, Tolkien abandoned the term.{{sfn|Tolkien|1984|pp=43–44}}