§ fornest, Anfornest >> Forannest (WR:353-354,357)
§ nest ’heart, core’ (WR:357)
§ nesta, nethra (ibid.)
The name Forannest appears on isolated notes and is once described as being the north gate in the Rammas, the name was not used later.
With the help of nest one can analyze fornest as N. #for- ’north’ (PHOR-) or forn ’right or north’ + nest ’heart, core’ and Anfornest is put together with #ann ’gate’ from AD- ’entrance’ (compare Annerchin, Annerchion above (1.8, 2.6); also Early Noldorin ann ’door’ (PE13:137)) and fornest.
Forannest shows a different order of these elements – #for(n)- ’north(ern)’ + #ann ’gate’ + nest ’heart, core’.
The word nest ’heart, core’ must be derived from NÉD-, whence N. enedh ’core, center’, nedh- ’mid-’. For such a phonological development compare N. gwest ’oath’ < wed-tā from WED- ’bind’. Thus fornest may signify *’central north, straight north’, as opposed to ’north-west’ or ’north-east’. Due to the final vowels in nesta, nethra, they might be verbs *’centre, place in the centre’ or *’be in centre’. While nesta may also be a primitive form of nest; nethra seems to show the late development -str- > -thr- as in ost-rond > othrond ’fortress, city in underground caves’ (OS-).