Sindarin 

cardolan

place name. ?Red Hill Land

The southernmost of the successor-realms of Arnor after it was divided into three kingdoms (LotR/1039). Tolkien did not translate the name, but it is often interpreted as “Red Hill Land”, as suggested by Hammond and Scull (RC/690) or David Salo (GS/371), a combination of caran “red”, dol(l) “hill” and the suffix -(i)an “land”. @@@ Originally suggested by Robert Foster, need ref.

Elements

WordGloss
caran“red”
dol(l)“head, hill”
-ian(d)“-land, country”
Sindarin [LotRI/Cardolan; PMI/Cardolan; SI/Cardolan; UTI/Cardolan] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Cardolan

Red Hill Land

The name Cardolan appears to be Sindarin for "Red Hill Land". In that case, the name could be analyzed as caran "red", dol "hill" and the toponymial ending -(i)an.

Sindarin [Tolkien Gateway "Cardolan"] Published by

Cardolan

Cardolan

It is not known if Tolkien ever explained the name Cardolan. The most common suggestion is that Cardolan likely is Sindarin for "red hill country". In that case, the name could be analyzed as carn "red", dol "hill, mount" and an(n) "land". An alternative etymology has been suggested by Roger Clewley: Cardolan deriving from Noldorin car "house", dolen "hidden, secret", and the toponymical ending -and, thus meaning "place/land of hidden houses" (a reference to the "dead entombed there").

Sindarin [Tolkien Gateway] Published by