annúminas

place name. Tower of the West

The capital of Arnor (LotR/244). Christopher Tolkien translated it as “Tower of the West” (SI/Annúminas), a combination of annûn “west” and minas “tower” (SA/andúnë, minas).

Conceptual Development: When this city first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, it was named N. Torfirion “Westermanton” (TI/144). In an early version of the Tale of Years the city was called N. Dunhirion (PM/167). Both of these variants were eventually replaced by Annúminas.

Elements

Word	Gloss
annûn	“sunset, west; (lit.) going down”
minas	“tower, fort, city (with a citadel and central watch tower)”

Annúminas

noun. west tower

annûn (“west, sunset”) + minas (“tower”) #The assimilation of nm > mm > m could be “internal nasal mutation”.