§ Kelufain >> Forfain >> Calenbel, Calen-Bel >> Calembel, Cálembel (TI:371,382,384,388)
These are names for a green lawn below Amon Hen, later Calledin and Calembrith (see 3.32), finally Parth Galen (LotRII, ch.10).
The first form seems to mean ’white source’ < N. celw ’spring, source’ (KEL-) and N. fein ’white’ (SPAN-). The final combination ei in the final syllable often appears later (while Noldorin underwent a transformation into Sindarin) as ai, but some variation can be already found in The Etymologies (e.g. N. lhein, lhain ’free(d)’ (LEK-)).
One has to wonder, however, how such a name should be applied to a lawn; but the gloss of KEL- is ’go, run (especially of water), flow away downhill’ (VT45:19) and might be taken here in a more abstract meaning, as a sloping surface (a green lawn ran down to the water from the feet of Amon Hen (LotRII, ch.10)). But there was also a spring of water: A little spring fell tumbling down and fed the grass (ibid.).
The second form is more difficult. It still contains fain ’white’, while the initial element looks like for- ’north’ (PHOR-, PE17:18, compare also Forlorn ’North Haven’ above (2.45)), but it makes little sense in this context. Perhaps we are dealing here with N. faur ’beach, shore’ (SPAR2- ’strew, spread’, VT46:15) and au > o in the compound.
The following forms then appear to mean ’green lawn’ literally, containing calen ’bright-coloured = green’ (KAL-), later assimilated to the following labial as calem-; and presumably lenited pêl ’tūn, fenced field’ (PEL-, VT46:8). Admittedly, a ’fenced field’ is not exactly a ’lawn’, but I cannot see a better solution here and have once more to invoke external change as an explanation.
In The Lord of the Rings, Calembel is a town by the fords of the Ciril where Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas pass with the army of the Dead (LotRV ch.3, RC:537). It is translated as ’Greenham’ with the suffix -ham ’village, homestead’ common in English place names, which suits N. gobel, Q. peler, opele ’walled house or village, ’town” (PEL(ES-)).