Eldamo : Sindarin : Minas Tirith

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

“Tower of Guard” ✧ LotR/245; LotRI/Minas Tirith; S/297
“Tower of Watch” ✧ NM/303; PE17/31; PE17/108; SI/Minas Tirith; UTI/Minas Tirith

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

S. a Pherhael ar am Meril suilad uin aran o Minas Tirith nelchaenen ned Echuir “to Samwise and Rose the King’s greeting from Minas Tirith, the thirty-first day of Stirring” ✧ SD/129; SD/129

Cognates

Roh. Mundburg “Guardian Fortress” ✧ LotRI/Minas Tirith; PMI/Minas Tirith; PMI/Mundburg

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

“Tower of Guard” ✧ TI/127

Variations

Minas Tirith ✧ PE22/125; SDI1/Minas Tirith; TI/115; TI/116; TI/127; TII/Minas Tirith; WRI/Minas Tirith
Minas-tir ✧ TI/115
Minas-ond ✧ TII/Minas Tirith; TI/115 (Minas-ond)
Minas-berel ✧ TII/Minas Tirith; TI/115 (Minas-berel)
Minas Giliath ✧ TII/Minas Tirith; TI/116 (Minas Giliath)
Minas rhain ✧ TII/Minas Tirith; TI/116 (Minas rhain)
Othrain ✧ TII/Minas Tirith; TI/116 (Othrain)

Changes

Minas-tir >> Minas-ond ✧ TI/115
Minas-ond >> Minas-berel ✧ TI/115
Minas-berel >> Minas-tirith ✧ TI/115
Minas Giliath >> Minas rhain ✧ TI/116
Minas rhain >> Othrain ✧ TI/116
Othrain >> Minas tirith ✧ TI/116

Elements

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

Cognates

ᴹQ. Tiristemindon “Minas Tirith” ✧ PE22/125

N. Minnastirith loc. “Watchtower”

See S. Minas Tirith for discussion.

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

Glosses

“Watchtower” ✧ LR/264

Variations

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

Changes

Minnastirith >> Minastirith ✧ LR/146; LRI/Minnastirith

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

Inglormindon >> Minnastirith ✧ LR/146; LR/269; LRI/Inglormindon; LRI/Minnastirith

Elements

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