S. Carn Dûm loc. “?Red Valley”

S. Carn Dûm, loc. “?Red Valley”

Chief settlement of Angmar (LotR/146). The language and meaning of this name is unclear, but it is often suggested this it is Sindarin, a combination of caran “red” and a lenited form of tum “valley” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/371). The name may be debased Elvish, like the name of its kingdom Angmar, since a noun would not ordinarily be lenited in this position. The name also resembles an early (rejected) name N. Caron-dûn or Carndoom “Red Valley” found in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, and could be a re-emergence of that name (RS/419, 433).

References ✧ LotRI/Carn Dûm; RSI/Carn Dûm; TII/Carn Dûm; UTI/Carn Dûm

Elements

caran? “red”
tum? “valley, vale” soft-mutation

N. Caron-dûn loc. “Red Valley”

Earlier name for Nanduhirion in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s that matched the river name Crandir “Red Way” (RS/419). It appeared in a variety of forms: Carndoom, Doon-Caron and Dûn Caron (RS/433), all apparently rearrangements of the same elements. It seems to be a combination of caran “red” and a variant or lenited form of tum “valley”. This etymology was suggested by Roman Rausch, along with several other possibilities to explain why the initial d was retained when it appeared in the initial element (EE/1.13). This name strongly resembles later S. Carn Dûm in Angmar, and might be a precursor to that name.

References ✧ RS/419, 433; RSI/Carndoom, Caron-dûn, Doon-Caron

Glosses

Variations

Elements

caran “red” ✧ RS/419 (Caron)
tum “(deep) valley” soft-mutation ✧ RS/419 (dûn)

N. Dunruin loc. “Red Valley”

Earlier name for Nanduhirion in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s that matched the river name Ruinnel “Red Way” (RS/464). It seems to be a combination of a variant form of tum “valley” and a variant or lenited form of gruin “ruddy”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/1.13).

References ✧ RS/464; RSI

Glosses

Elements

tum? “(deep) valley”
gruin “ruddy” soft-mutation

N. Narodûm loc. “Red Valley”

Earlier name for Nanduhirion in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s that matched the river name Narosîr “Red Way” (RS/433). It seems to be a combination of naru “red” and a lenited form of tum “valley”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/1.6).

References ✧ RS/433; RSI

Glosses

Elements

naru “red”
tum “(deep) valley” soft-mutation