S. Minas Tirith loc. “Tower of Guard, Tower of Watch”

S. Minas Tirith, loc. “Tower of Guard, Tower of Watch”
G. gwarestrin “watch-tower”

The name of Minas Anor after the resurgence of Mordor, translated “Tower of Guard” (LotR/245) or “Tower of Watch” (PE17/31). The name was also used for a stronghold of the Noldor on Tol Sirion in Beleriand (S/120). This name is a combination of minas “tower” and tirith “watching, guarding” (SA/minas, tir; PE17/31).

Conceptual Development: As a tower of the Noldor, Tolkien first used the name N. Inglormindon, but revised it to N. Minnastirith (LR/146), translated “Watchtower” (LR/264). The form Minnas-tirith also appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/TIR). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Tolkien considered a variety of names for the capital of Gondor before settling on N. Minas Tirith (TI/115-6), which he initially translated as “Tower of Guard” (TI/127).

References ✧ LotR/245; LotRI/Minas Tirith; LT2I/Minas Tirith; NM/303; PE17/31, 108; PMI/Minas Tirith, Mundburg; S/297; SA/minas, tir; SD/129; SDI2/Minas Tirith; SI/Minas Tirith; UTI/Minas Tirith

Glosses

Elements

minas “tower, fort, city (with a citadel and central watch tower)” ✧ SA/minas
tirith “watching, guarding, watch, ward, guard” ✧ PE17/31 (tĭrith)
TIR “watch (over), look at, observe, gaze at” ✧ SA/tir

Element In

Cognates


N. Minas Tirith loc. “Tower of Guard”

See S. Minas Tirith for discussion.

References ✧ PE22/125; SDI1/Minas Tirith; TI/115-116, 127; TII/Minas Tirith; WRI/Minas Tirith

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

S. minas “tower, fort, city (with a citadel and central watch tower)”
tirith “watch, guard” ✧ PE22/125

Cognates


N. Minnastirith loc. “Watchtower”

See S. Minas Tirith for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/TIR; LR/146, 264, 269; LRI/Inglormindon, Minnastirith; WJI/Minnas-tirith

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

minnas “tower”
tirith “watch, guard” ✧ Ety/TIR
ᴹ√MIN “stand alone, stick out” ✧ Ety/TIR (MINI)

N. Inglormindon loc.

Earliest name for the Minas Tirith of Beleriand in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/146 note #14), a combination of the name Inglor and mindon “tower”.

See S. Minas Tirith for further discussion.

References ✧ LR/146, 269; LRI/Inglormindon, Minnastirith

Changes

Elements

Inglor “*Heart of Gold”
mindon “tower, isolated hill (especially a hill with a watchtower)”