calenardhon

place name. Green Province

The name of the Gondorian province that would become Rohan (LotR/678), translated “Green Province” (RC/477) or “(great) green region” (Let/383). The initial element is clearly calen “green” (SA/calen). Tolkien stated that its final element is the suffix -ond “commonly used in the names of regions or countries” (UT/318), but the translation “(great) green region” indicates he may also have considered the augmentative suffix -on. Its middle element is most likely (g)ardh “region”; if so, the ending of this word might be a lenited form of a noun ✱gardhon meaning “province”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this region was first named ᴹQ. Elenarda, revised to (mixed language?) Kalenarda or Kalinarda (WR/155-6). Tolkien soon changed the name again to Calenardan >> N. Calenardhon (WR/168), and kept this name thereafter.

Calenardhon

noun. green province

calen (“green”) + ardh (“realm, region”) + ond (commonly used suffix in the names of regions and countries)

Calenardhon

Green Province

Calenardhon is Sindarin, meaning "Green Province" or "the (great) green region" (calen "green" + ardhon "province, great region").

The hypothetical Old Sindarin would likely be *Kalinardondo.

Earlier names used by Tolkien for this region were Elenarda > Kalen(arda) > Kalinarda > Calenardan > Calenardon.