Foreword
Not much has changed since 1834 when the first anti-Mormon book was published.[1] Like a tired, old opera, the individual actors may change, but the roles, scores, and librettos hardly vary. Indeed, it can be said that most critics of the Book of Mormon are not encumbered with any authentic information. Such is the case with the following quote, first published in 1911, “There is not a single discovery or scrap of evidence in support of any of the following names of heads, under which the book has been divided, viz. :– Book I., Nephi; II., Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Omni [sic], Jarom, Omni, Mormon, Mosiah, Zeniff, Alma, Helaman; III., Nephi; IV., Nephi, Mormon, Esther [sic], and Maroni [sic].”[2] Now, over one hundred years later, critics who ignore the considerable body of evidence that many Book of Mormon names have deep Semitic roots do so at the peril of their own credibility. This onomasticon contains much of the research from the last 100 years and more that has supported the ancient Near Eastern origin of many Book of Mormon names and words.
A much more legitimate issue is why bother with etymologies of words and names at all? The answer is simple. Words and names in the language of the original text provide a window, sometimes a very small window, but a window nevertheless, into the culture and ideas of the original native speakers. This is possible because all names in antiquity had a meaning. For example, the English name Alexander is ultimately derived from the Greek name Αλέξανδρος, which means approximately “defender of men.” The English form preserves the first lexeme, aleks, and the second one, andr, but not the case ending -os. People who know Greek readily recognize these lexemes in the English form.
In addition, even though such names are often shortened to form a hypocoristic or pet name, the original lexemes may have been maintained. The English hypocoristic name Alex retains some semblance of the original Greek word. Other hypocoristic names also retain recognizable elements of the original name, such as Ed from Edward. However, some hypocoristica show no semblance of the original lexeme(s). A Russian diminutive of Alexander, Sasha, disguises all traces of the original Greek and of its Russian intermediator, Alexandr. Other hypocoristica, such as Dick from Richard, also more or less disguise their origin.
Despite transmigrations involving intermediate languages and occasional difficulties recognizing the original roots, many names often retain in their adopted language at least some of the sounds and therefore phonemes of the original words. Such studies can reveal somewhat of the linguistic and cultural wanderings that created the English form. In addition to the example of Alexander used above, the English name Esther provides an interesting example. It can be traced ultimately back to the Babylonian name for the goddess of love and war, Ištar.[3] However, the English form of the name is derived undoubtedly from King James Bible Esther, which goes back to the Greek form in the Septuagint Ester or to the HEBREW, Ester, both of which ultimately can be traced to the name of the Babylonian goddess Ištar. Thus, the etymology of English Esther suggests, as inadequate as it is, a short cultural history of the Jewish people that begins with the Babylonian exile.
As in the examples just given, proper names and transliterated words can preserve original phonemes and lexemes of the source language even though the name originated in a language no longer spoken. Therefore, a careful study of the onomasticon of the Book of Mormon can inform us about the languages used to compose the book. The languages in turn can help inform us about the culture and customs of people who spoke the languages. In this respect, the proper names in the Book of Mormon form a unique and useful tool for the study of the languages of the peoples of that book and make possible new insights for understanding the Book of Mormon.
It is hoped that this Laura F. Willes Center Book of Mormon onomasticon will provide additional insights into the cultures that produced this sacred scripture.
- ↑ Eber D. Howe, Mormonism unvailed, or, A faithful account of that singular imposition and delusion (Painesville, Ohio: By the author, 1834).
- ↑ The rest of the quote reads, “This altogether remarkable production of an over-imaginative mind bears evidences of the eagerness with which the would-be prophet sought to study his profit, and how he mistook his calling in life, rather than anything in the way of support towards its claims.” M. A. Sbresny, Mormonism: As It Is To-Day. Some Striking Revelations (London: Arthur H. Stockwell, 1911), 24-5.
- ↑ See HALOT sub אסתר, where beside the Babylonian derivation from Ištar, the Persian stāreh, “young woman,” is listed.
