SHEMLON

Lehite GN

1.

LAMANITE lannd, ca. 178 BC (Mosiah 10:7; Alma 23:12)

A good possibility is Hebrew śimlâ, "claok, 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).

Even 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 šēm, "name," and lyn/lwn, "to rest," "to lodge," "to spend the night." The resulting noun chain, *šēmlôn, might mean "name of the dwelling." Hebrew šēm and māl

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