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 carn “red” and a lenited form of tûm “valley” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/371). The name may be debased Elvish, like the name of its kingdom Angmar, since the normal Sindarin words would be caran and tum. 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).

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.

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).

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).