...akin to latin nutare, to nod, GK neuein: A spiritual force or
influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place.
That is, the idea comes from some spiritual force giving
you 'the nod,' but in English it is used of the spiritual force itself rather
than than what it does. Or perhaps we can say that a Numen is something
that is entitled to give you the nod.
In any event Numenor was a numinous place, the the word
sounds mystical and cool.
By the way, when anyone asks what Tom Bombadil is, I,
quoting impressive literary souces, tell them that Tom is a Vegetative
Numen.
