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<pre>SHEMLON
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''[[:Category:Lehite GN|Lehite GN]]'''
|1.
|[[LAMANITE(S)|L<small>AMANITE</small>]] land, ca. 178 BC ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/10.7?lang=eng#6 Mosiah 10:7]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/11.12?lang=eng#11 11:12]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/19.6?lang=eng#5 19:6]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/20.1?lang=eng#primary 20:1]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/24.1?lang=eng#primary 24:1]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/23.12?lang=eng#11 Alma 23:12])
|}


Lehite GN Land, ca. 178 BC (Mosiah 10:7; Alma 23:12)
'''Etymology'''


As has been pointed out (JH), the ending -ōn is a good form for a GN. Unfortunately, no Semitic root šml exists to supply the meaning. Therefore, one is tempted to see
A good possibility is [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] שמלה ''śimlâ'', "cloak, cover," with the well-known ending -''ōn'' (good form for a [[Geographical Name|GN]]), hence '''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' "covered place" ([[Jo Ann Hackett|JH]]), or "place of the cloak" ([[Paul Y. Hoskisson|PYH]]). Cf. biblical [[Personal Name|PN]] Samlah ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/gen/36.36?lang=eng#35 Genesis 36:36]).
here a lost root (JAT), perhaps attested in the Ugaritic PN bn šml, meaning unknown (JH). Another possibility for the lost root might be the unattested śml from Hebrew
śimlāh, “cloak,” hence the suggestion for Shemlon “covered place” (JH).  


It may be possible to postulate a no longer extant Hebrew root šml from Arabic *samala, “to scoop/gouge/tear out.” The name would be appropriate if the city were
Less likely is something like Arabic ''samala'' "to scoop, gouge, tear out," which might apply if the land of '''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' was in a depression--perhaps requiring a tower in [[NEPHI|N<small>EPHI</small>]] to view the [[LAMANITE(S)|L<small>AMANITES</small>]] coming from that lower elevation or depression ([[John A. Tvedtnes|JAT]]).
located in a depression. We are reminded that in several Book of Mormon passages, inhabitants of the city of Nephi were able, from a tower near the temple, to see the  
Lamanites coming against them from the direction of the city of Shemlon. This may indicate a lower elevation for Shemlon (JAT).


Other suggestions seem unlikely for various reasons. The combination of Hebrew šēm, “name,” and mālôn, “lodging-place,” would require a vowel between the m and the  
'''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' may be composed of [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] שם ''šēm'', "name," and לין/לון ''lyn''/''lwn'', "to rest," "to lodge," "to spend the night." The resulting noun chain, ''*šēmlôn'', might mean "name of the dwelling." [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] ''šēm'' and ''mālôn'', "lodging-place," would require a vowel between the ''m'' and the ''l'', e.g., ''*šēmālôn'', but the Book of Mormon spelling does not have the called-for vowel.
l. It would be more logical to eliminate the preformative ma, the marker of “place,” and see the second element as simply lôn, “resting, lodging.” But even this does not
make a plausible GN. Hebrew šemoʾl, “left, on the left hand, hence, north” (RFS) would be a suitable etymology if, e.g., Shemlon were to the north of the city of Nephi (JAT).
But this root also fails to qualify because the hypothetical *šmʾln would require in any Semitic language a vowel to break up the consonant cluster -mʾl- and the English
transliteration clearly does not have a vowel between the m and the l.


Until r/l interchanges can be documented between Hebrew and Lehite (such as between Spanish and Portuguese), it seems unlikely that Shemlon is a corruption of or
Despite misgivings by [[Jo Ann Hackett]] and [[Paul Y. Hoskisson|Paul Hoskisson]], this may simply be a dialectical variant on the biblical [[Personal Name|PN]] and [[Geographical Name|GN]] שמרון Shimron/Shimrom ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/gen/46.13?lang=eng#12 Genesis 46:13]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/num/26.24?lang=eng#23 Numbers 26:24]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/11.1?lang=eng#primary Joshua 11:1]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/19.15?lang=eng#14 19:15]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/1-chr/7.1?lang=eng#primary 1 Chronicles 7:1]), and [[Geographical Name|GN]] Shimron-Meron ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/josh/12.20?lang=eng#19 Joshua 12:20]), which may, as Pedro Olavarria suggests, be derived from [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] שמר ''šāmar'' "to guard, keep, watch,"  with possible word-play based on that meaning in [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/10.7?lang=eng#6 Mosiah 10:7] "guard against them" (cf. [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/62.6?lang=eng#5 Isaiah 62:6]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/judg/7.19?lang=eng#18 Judges 7:19])--through a plausible interchange<ref>Lipiński, ''Semitic Languages'', § 2.4, "[[EGYPT|E<small>GYPTIAN</small>]] did not distinguish between ''r'' and ''l'' in their script"; Antonio Loprieno, ''Ancient Egyptian'', Table 3.1 note c, shows that the lateral dental /''l''/ "is frequently conveyed by <''n''> and <''r''>, more rarely by <''3''>."</ref> of -''l''- and -''r''- (ישראל=[[EGYPT|E<small>GYPTIAN</small>]] Ysyri3r,<ref>[[E. A. W. Budge|E.A.W. Budge]],  ''A Hieroglyphic Dictionary.'' (London: John Murray, 1920/reprint Dover, 1978.), 965, citing Israel Stele 27, and El Amarna Letters.</ref> '3šir; אשקלון= Eg. Iśq3rn3; כלא= Eg. qrt, qrit, qriw "bolt, lock," Dem. ql3t; קרב= Arab. ''qalb'', ''qulūb''; Akk. ''Aššur-bâni-apli'' "Ashurbanipal">[[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] ''ʾĀsnappar''). The same root is the source of several other biblical names, including Shomer, Shamir, Shamur, Shemer, Shimrith, Shimrath, Shemariah, and [[SAMARIA|S<small>AMARIA</small>]] (שמרון ''šōmrôn''= Akk. ''Śamerīnāya''<ref>[[Hayim ben Yosef Tawil|Hayim ben Yosef Tawil]],  ''An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents with Supplement on Biblical Aramaic.'' (Jersey City: [[(Jewish Publisher)|KTAV]], 2009.),  460.</ref>). These same considerations would apply to a homonymous [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] verb שמר ''šāmar'' "to rage" (Akkadian ''šamāru''),<ref>Ibid., 412-13, citing "Š," [[Chicago Assyrian Dictionary = Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the Univ. of Chicago. Chicago: Oriental Institute/Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin, 1956-2010.|''CAD'']], 296a, and Wolfram von Soden.  [[W. Von Soden, Akkadisches Handwörterbuch. 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965–1981.|''Akkadisches Handwörterbuch'']]: ''unter Benutzung des lexikalischen Nachlasses von Bruno Meissner (1968-1947).'' (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965),1154a.</ref> in a participial or nominal form meaning "rage, fury."
equivalent to biblical Shimron (JH).


Cf. Book of Mormon Shem, Shemnon, Shim, Shimnilom
A derivation from North-West Semitic ''sml'' "statue, image," is very unlikely, since the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] /s/ (''samekh'') seldom changes to /š/, as '''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' would require.
</pre>
 
[[Category:Names]]
Less likely perhaps is a derivation from [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] שמאל ''śěmʾol'' "left, on the left hand; north" ([[Robert F. Smith|RFS]]), plus the ending -''ōn''. This would make good sense if '''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' were "north" of [[NEPHI|N<small>EPHI</small>]] ([[John A. Tvedtnes|JAT]]). the difficulty with this reading is the glottal-stop-vowel (''ʾaleph'') between -''m''- and -''l''-, required in order to break up the consonant cluster (cf. Mari ''śimʾal''; Akkadian ''šumēlu'', ''šumēlû''<ref>Ibid., 378, citing "Š," [[Chicago Assyrian Dictionary = Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the Univ. of Chicago. Chicago: Oriental Institute/Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin, 1956-2010.|''CAD'']], 267b, 272a, and Wolfram von Soden, [[W. Von Soden, Akkadisches Handwörterbuch. 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965–1981.|''Akkadisches Handwörterbuch'']]: ''unter Benutzung des lexikalischen Nachlasses von Bruno Meissner (1969-1947).'' (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965), 1271.</ref>). However, Palmyrene ''šml'' "left, north,"<ref>J. Hoftijzer and K. Jongeling. ''Dictionary of North-West Semitic Inscriptons,'' 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 1995.)</ref> and the ready acceptance of consonant clusters in Late [[EGYPT|E<small>GYPTIAN</small>]] and Coptic, suggest that '''S<small>HEMLON</small>''' could indeed be so derived and expressed.
 
Cf. Book of Mormon [[SHEM|S<small>HEM</small>]], [[SHEMNON|S<small>HEMNON</small>]], [[SHIM|S<small>HIM</small>]], [[SHIMNILOM|S<small>HIMNILOM</small>]]
 
'''Variants'''
 
'''[[Deseret Alphabet]]:''' 𐐟𐐇𐐣𐐢𐐊𐐤 (ʃɛmlʌn)
 
'''Notes'''
----
<references/>
 
[[Category:Names]][[Category:Lehite GN]]
 
<div style="text-align: center;"> [[SHEM|<<]] Shemlon [[SHEMNON|>>]] </div>
 
==[[Name Index]]==
<big>
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|<font color="lightgray">F</font>
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|[[I]]
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|[[L]]
|[[M]]
|[[N]]
|[[O]]
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|[[R]]
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|[[Z]]
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Latest revision as of 00:17, 4 November 2023

Lehite GN 1. LAMANITE land, ca. 178 BC (Mosiah 10:7; 11:12; 19:6; 20:1; 24:1; Alma 23:12)

Etymology

A good possibility is HEBREW שמלה śimlâ, "cloak, cover," with the well-known ending -ōn (good form for a GN), hence SHEMLON "covered place" (JH), or "place of the cloak" (PYH). Cf. biblical PN Samlah (Genesis 36:36).

Less likely is something like Arabic samala "to scoop, gouge, tear out," which might apply if the land of SHEMLON was in a depression--perhaps requiring a tower in NEPHI to view the LAMANITES coming from that lower elevation or depression (JAT).

SHEMLON may be composed of HEBREW שם šēm, "name," and לין/לון lyn/lwn, "to rest," "to lodge," "to spend the night." The resulting noun chain, *šēmlôn, might mean "name of the dwelling." HEBREW šēm and mālôn, "lodging-place," would require a vowel between the m and the l, e.g., *šēmālôn, but the Book of Mormon spelling does not have the called-for vowel.

Despite misgivings by Jo Ann Hackett and Paul Hoskisson, this may simply be a dialectical variant on the biblical PN and GN שמרון Shimron/Shimrom (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:24; Joshua 11:1; 19:15; 1 Chronicles 7:1), and GN Shimron-Meron (Joshua 12:20), which may, as Pedro Olavarria suggests, be derived from HEBREW שמר šāmar "to guard, keep, watch," with possible word-play based on that meaning in Mosiah 10:7 "guard against them" (cf. Isaiah 62:6; Judges 7:19)--through a plausible interchange[1] of -l- and -r- (ישראל=EGYPTIAN Ysyri3r,[2] '3šir; אשקלון= Eg. Iśq3rn3; כלא= Eg. qrt, qrit, qriw "bolt, lock," Dem. ql3t; קרב= Arab. qalb, qulūb; Akk. Aššur-bâni-apli "Ashurbanipal">HEBREW ʾĀsnappar). The same root is the source of several other biblical names, including Shomer, Shamir, Shamur, Shemer, Shimrith, Shimrath, Shemariah, and SAMARIA (שמרון šōmrôn= Akk. Śamerīnāya[3]). These same considerations would apply to a homonymous HEBREW verb שמר šāmar "to rage" (Akkadian šamāru),[4] in a participial or nominal form meaning "rage, fury."

A derivation from North-West Semitic sml "statue, image," is very unlikely, since the HEBREW /s/ (samekh) seldom changes to /š/, as SHEMLON would require.

Less likely perhaps is a derivation from HEBREW שמאל śěmʾol "left, on the left hand; north" (RFS), plus the ending -ōn. This would make good sense if SHEMLON were "north" of NEPHI (JAT). the difficulty with this reading is the glottal-stop-vowel (ʾaleph) between -m- and -l-, required in order to break up the consonant cluster (cf. Mari śimʾal; Akkadian šumēlu, šumēlû[5]). However, Palmyrene šml "left, north,"[6] and the ready acceptance of consonant clusters in Late EGYPTIAN and Coptic, suggest that SHEMLON could indeed be so derived and expressed.

Cf. Book of Mormon SHEM, SHEMNON, SHIM, SHIMNILOM

Variants

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐟𐐇𐐣𐐢𐐊𐐤 (ʃɛmlʌn)

Notes

  1. ↑ Lipiński, Semitic Languages, § 2.4, "EGYPTIAN did not distinguish between r and l in their script"; Antonio Loprieno, Ancient Egyptian, Table 3.1 note c, shows that the lateral dental /l/ "is frequently conveyed by <n> and <r>, more rarely by <3>."
  2. ↑ E.A.W. Budge, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary. (London: John Murray, 1920/reprint Dover, 1978.), 965, citing Israel Stele 27, and El Amarna Letters.
  3. ↑ Hayim ben Yosef Tawil, An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents with Supplement on Biblical Aramaic. (Jersey City: KTAV, 2009.), 460.
  4. ↑ Ibid., 412-13, citing "Š," CAD, 296a, and Wolfram von Soden. Akkadisches Handwörterbuch: unter Benutzung des lexikalischen Nachlasses von Bruno Meissner (1968-1947). (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965),1154a.
  5. ↑ Ibid., 378, citing "Š," CAD, 267b, 272a, and Wolfram von Soden, Akkadisches Handwörterbuch: unter Benutzung des lexikalischen Nachlasses von Bruno Meissner (1969-1947). (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965), 1271.
  6. ↑ J. Hoftijzer and K. Jongeling. Dictionary of North-West Semitic Inscriptons, 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 1995.)
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