MINON

MINON

Lehite GN Land above the land of Zarahemla, en route to the land of Nephi, west of the River Sidon and either identical or near to the land of Manti, being a land where the Nephites raised flocks, ca. 87 BC (Alma 2:24)

The following ancient Near Eastern placenames should be compared with Book of Mormon Minon. Biblical Minnith in Ammonite territory (Judges 11:33, Ezekiel 27:17; note also the GNs in Ugarit, mnt and in Ebla mu-nu-ti-um [Dahood in Pettinato, Archives, 292–293]), perhaps from the root mnn, “to be bounteous,” hence “gift” (JH). From the root mnh, “to count,” comes the possible meaning “portion.” The biblical city Timnah appears to derive its name from this root. From the same root comes *minyan, “quorum,” and Modern Hebrew has minōn, “dosage” (JAT).

There is a Hebrew word manōn, meaning unknown, in Proverbs 29:21 (JH). From the context, it may mean “heir,” i.e., one who receives his share from his stepfather’s estate. 

Note also biblical Minni, a region of Armenia (Jeremiah 51:27). Several Hittite names contain the mnn sequence. There are too many possibilities to decide what the name might mean, and many of them are from the north (Hittite, Armenian). If we are to take the single n seriously, then a root mnn seems out of the question (JH).

Possibly from Egyptian mni(w), “herdsmen, nomads,” inasmuch as the Nephites are said to have raised flocks there. Also possible is Egyptian mnw, “trees,” hence mnw.n, “our forest,” or min/mini/mni, “moorland” (RFS).

Cf. Egyptian mnw, Min, god of Paropolis, rendered min in Greek (RFS).

Cf. Hebrew mīn, “form, kind, sort” (RFS).

Cf. Book of Mormon Manti, Hermounts, Limnah, Cumeni