The name of the hill in Valinor where the Elves settled and built the city of Tirion (S/59). Its exact meaning is obscure, but it probably developed from the root ᴹ√TUN from which the related word [ᴹQ.] tundo “hill, mound” was also derived (Ety/TUN), so perhaps it simply meant “*Hill”.

Conceptual Development: The first precursor of this name appeared towards the end of the Lost Tales: Tûn, the (?Gnomish) name of the Elvish city on the hill, replacing the older name of the city ᴱQ. Kôr (LT2/202), which in turn became simply the name for the hill itself. The name Tûn was probably inspired by Old English “tún (enclosed dwelling)”, from which modern English “town” developed (LT2/292).

In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, Tûn was replaced by its Quenya equivalent ᴹQ. Túna (LR/119), which was glossed “Hill City” (LR/222). The name ᴹQ. Tún/Túna appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of the root ᴹ√TUN, from the primitive form ᴹ✶Tūnā̆ (Ety/TUN). This entry is the basis for the derivation given above. Christopher Tolkien noted that Tún was an “unlikely Quenya form”, but Tolkien might have imagined it developing for primitive ᴹ✶Tūnă after the short final -ă was lost.

In later writings, the city was renamed Tirion and Túna became the name of the hill, although this replacement was gradual and Túna sometimes appeared as the name of the city as well (MR/8, 180). The conceptual development of this name was therefore ᴱQ. Kôr (town and hill, LT1/122-3) >> (?G.) Tûn (town only, LT2/202, SM/87) >> ᴹQ. Túna (town only, LR/119, Ety/TUN) >> Q. Túna (town and hill, MR/8) >> Q. Túna (hill only, MR/180, S/59). See the entry on Tirion for further discussion of the development of related names.