LAMAN
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LAMAN Lehite PN & GN 1. Son of Lehi, ca. 600 BC (1 Nephi 2:5; Alma 56:3) 2. King of Lamanites, 2nd c. BC (Mosiah 7:21; 10:18) 3. King of Lamanites, perhaps son of No. 2 (Mosiah 24:3, 9) 4. Servant to Lamanite king, Nephite soldier, ca. 73 BC (Alma 55:5; 55:15) 5. Arabian river, named after No. 1, ca. 600 BC (1 Nephi 2:8; 16:12) 6. City, ca. 30 AD (3 Nephi 9:10) Though Laman is quite likely from the Semitic triliteral root LMN, it is found only once as a proper name mentioned in a Lihyanite inscription. Lihyanite was a language spoken (and written) in the ancient northwest Arabian Peninsula in the mid- first millennium b.c. Laman may also derive from the Safaitic L’mn “mender.”71 Less persuasive is the derivation of Laman from Akkadian lemnu “evil; evildoer” and Central Arabian laman “scoundrel.” Intriguing, but unpersuasive (on philological grounds) is the derivation of the name from l(u) ʾaman “surely he is faithful.” See Book of Mormon LAMANITE(S) and LAMANITISH SDR 71. CIS 946:3443.
