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.
Noldorin
dûn
noun. west
dûn
noun. west
tûn
place name. Hill City
caron-dûn
place name. Red Valley
tum
noun. (deep) valley
Noldorin equivalent of ᴹQ. Túna appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s with the gloss “Hill City” (LR/222). It also appeared in The Etymologies derived from the same primitive form as its Quenya equivalent (Ety/TUN).
Conceptual Development: G. Tûn appeared towards the end of notes associated with the earliest Lost Tales (LT2/202), where it was most likely inspired by Old English “tún”, as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT2/292). It also appeared in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/17, 217). Its development parallels that of its Quenya name; see Q. Tirion for a fuller discussion on the evolution of the name of this city and the hill it stood upon.