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2.9  Minas-tir, Minas-ond, Minas-berel

§ Minas-tir, Minas-ond, Minas-berel (TI:115)
   
These are some earlier names of Minas Tirith.
All the forms contain minas ’tower’ (minnas under MINI-). The first then appends the element tir ’watch, watch over’ (Silm.index).
The second appends ond ’stone’, probably still in the form without initial G-, see the commentary on Toll-onnui and related forms below (2.36) (also GOND-, Silm.index).
The last form is more difficult to interpret. It could be related to BER- ’valiant’ with ómataima and the ending -lā; *bere-lā > berel. This may be an adjective as sael ’wise’ (SD:129) from SAY- or a noun, as N. cael, Q. kaila ’lying in bed, sickness’ from KAY-; or both as N. (h)mael ’stain and adj. stained’ < magla (SMAG-).
Hence the three words may be interpreted as: *’watching-tower’, *’stony tower’, *’valiant tower’ or *’tower of valour’.


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