Did Tolkien consider naming dwarves "Gnomes" in his works?

[Sarah]

Gnomes have been mentioned many times in HOME. Were Gnomes the name of dwarves before tolkien decided what he wanted?

 

[Celebthôl]

Elves i think, tho Beren was a gnome i think in one of the books...

 

[Sarah]

yes he was in BOLT 2.

 

[Saermegil]

Gnomes was the Second Kindred of Elves, that would later come to be called the Noldor.

Christopher Tolkien says it was probably derrived from the greek
-gnomee(opinion, thought, inteligence)

Tolkien stopped using it because it gave people the wrong impression.
(like the one you got)

 

[Eledhwen]

I think the silly (English?) habit of putting diminutive garden gnomes (complete with toadstools, fishing rods white beards and red caps) out in the garden can't have helped. How can you take a gnome seriously after that?

 

[Elfarmari]

My copy of the Book of Lost Tales II has a cover designed by someone who obviously is not familiar with who the Gnomes actually were in Tolkien's writing. The cover picture is Tuor being throught the Gate of the Noldor, and the Gnomes look remarkable like little lawn gnomes or Christmas elves. . . .

 

[HelplessModAddi]

The Noldor still sort of actually are referred to as "Gnomes" - see where Finrod met Beor. That was the point of that name Beor gave him. Originally it was "Gnome, that means "wisdom," and his people they called Gnomes, the Wise." Or something like that.

 

[Walter]

Tolkien first used this name for the Noldor, but later abandoned it because of the association with Dwarfs.

However, the name Gnome seems to have caused some confusion: Tolkien derived this name from the greek word

gnōmē...'thought, intelligence'

and hence the meaning he had in mind was "Those who Know"; but unfortunately the term ''gnome'' is already "pre-occupied" (at least in European mythology and folklore) with the meaning of "dwarfish, subterranean goblins or earth spirits", originating probably in Paracelsus' writings who used it synonymously for pygmaeus, denoting a mythical race of very small people said to inhabit parts of Ethiopia and India. The word itself probably comes from greek

genomoi...'earth-dweller'.

Used (with permission ) from
TolkienWiki/Gnomes

 

[Saermegil]

genomoi...'earth-dweller'.

THAT is not greek (or at least i dont think so)

gnomee = thought, opinion = this is greek

 

[Inderjit S]

The Noldor still sort of actually are referred to as "Gnomes" - see where Finrod met Beor. That was the point of that name Beor gave him. Originally it was "Gnome, that means "wisdom," and his people they called Gnomes, the Wise."

That was later changed to Nóm/Nómin (The Wise) the wise given to Finrod and his people, as well as the Elves in general by the Bëorians. (Footnote to LQI; HoME 11

The source from where you got the idea that Gnome=Wisdom from, was at a time when Gnome was still a word for the Ñoldor and Gnome was the word for wisdom in the langauge of the Elves (Pengoloð’s notes tell us that the Bëorians word for "wisdom" was 'Widris') (LQ; HoME 5)

Here is quote on the meaning of the name Ñoldor: (wisdom)

This name was probably older than Vanyar, and may have been made before the March. It was given to the Second Clan by the others. It was accepted, and was used as their regular and proper name by all the Eldarin members of the clan throughout their later history.

Quendi and Eldar; HoME 11

 

[Walter]

Genomos

Originally posted by Saermegil

genomoi...'earth-dweller'.

THAT is not greek (or at least i dont think so)

gnomee = thought, opinion = this is greek [/B]

It's all Greek to me....


Concerning the Greek language - ancient or no - I am rather illiterate, so I would be grateful for any help in this issue.

When I did some research on the "gnomes"-issue for this entry at the TolkienWiki, I haven't found genomoi (or genomos) - for 'earth-dweller - in any dictionary I have access to, but I have found the reference on several websites, including an Online Etymology Dictionary (look for gnome), but there it is suggested as an "*"-word, on other sites it is suggested as opposite to thalassonomos - for a 'sea-dweller'.

So, is it Greek, or is it not? Could it be derived from the roots gē + nem (greek nomos)?

Tolkien himself, however, does not mention genomos in his note to Letter # 239...

 

[Saermegil]

I suppose that genomos could be used to describe someone living inland, but I do not know if that word was actually ever used. You see, greek is my native language and I am proud to say I speak it better than most people, but I am not an expert, particularly in ancient greek.

However, I am sure that genomos had nothing to do with gnome=intelligence, and that caused my initial (and rather exaggerated responce )

 

[Inderjit S]

There is also this:

If gnomos is used as a translation of dwarves, then it must not appear on p. 63 in the elves that are now called Gnomes. I need not trouble the translator, or you, with the long explanation needed to account for this aberration; but the word was used as a translation of the real name, according to my mythology, of the High-elven people of the West. Pedantically, associating it with Greek gnome 'thought, intelligence'. But I have abandoned it, since it is quite impossible to dissociate the name from the popular associations of the Paracelsan gnomus = pygmaeus. Since this word is used – for its aptness in preference to Sp[anish] enano I am not able to judge – for 'dwarves', regrettable confusion would be caused, if it is also applied to the High Elves. I earnestly suggest that on p. 63, lines 6-7, the translator should translate old swords of the High Elves of the West; and on p. 173, line 14, should delete (or Gnomes) altogether. I think these are the only places where Gnomes appears in The Hobbit.

Letters of Tolkien; Letter 239