Foreword: Difference between revisions

From Book of Mormon Onomasticon
Jump to navigationJump to search
mNo edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
<center>'''INTRODUCTION'''</center>
<center>'''Foreword'''</center>


The creation and maintaining of this onomasticon will remain an ongoing work. Therefore, the editors welcome irenic suggestions. Those who created and who maintain this onomasticon work under the hypothesis that the Book of Mormon is an ancient document whose cultural roots, except for the [[JAREDITES|J<small>AREDITE</small>]] cultural legacy, reach back to 7<sup>th</sup> Century BC [[ISRAEL|I<small>SRAEL</small>]].  Nevertheless, this material is not presented as an apologetic work, neither is it polemical.
Not much has changed since 1834 when the first anti-Mormon book was published.<ref>Eber D. Howe, ''Mormonism unvailed, or, A faithful account of that singular imposition and delusion'' (Painesville, Ohio: By the author, 1834).</ref> 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].”<ref>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.</ref> 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.  


For a discussion of why a study of the proper names of the Book of Mormon merits consideration, please see “Relevancy.
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.  


A separate list of abbreviations, variants, and a bibliography have been supplied, along with a study of specific etymological considerations relating to the Book of Mormon onomasticon.
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.


The entries are arranged in alphabetical order with each entry beginning a new page. The data for each entry are arranged according to the following schema:
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''.<ref>See ''HALOT'' sub אסתר, where beside the Babylonian derivation from ''Ištar'', the Persian ''stāreh'', “young woman,” is listed.</ref> 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.
 
'''AARON''' The name or word appears at the top left of the page in capital, bolded letters:
 
Attestations of the name or word are listed in a box in the order of their appearance in the Book of Mormon and assigned to one of three basic groupings: Lehite, [[JAREDITES|J<small>AREDITE</small>]] and biblical. Mulekite is not normally differentiated from Lehite. An effort has been made to list every occurrence.
 
'''Etymology.''' Unless otherwise noted, the discussion of the name begins with a brief summary of the more likely etymological probabilities. This is followed by a synopsis of all proffered etymologies, listed in no strict order, though in general the more recent suggestions appear first. If the Book of Mormon name is solely a translation instead of a transliteration, speculative reconstructions of a ''Vorlage'' may be offered if the context provides any clues.
 
'''Variants''' After the etymological discussion, the different spellings of the name/word, if such exist, are listed. By clicking on the variant, a page appears that lists all the variants for that name/word and where and when they occur.
 
'''Deseret Alphabet''' supplies the Deseret Alphabet spelling of the name, with variants if there are any, followed by an IPA transcription.
 
'''Notes''', if there are any for the entry.
 
'''Bibliography''', if there is one for the entry.
 
<center>'''Relevancy'''</center>
 
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 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; but a Russian diminutive of ''Alexander'', ''Sasha'', disguises all traces of the original Greek and of its Russian intermediator, ''Alexandr''. Some of the hypocoristic names retain recognizable elements of the original name, such as ''Ed'' from ''Edward''. Other hypocoristica, such as ''Dick'' from ''Richard'', disguise their origin.
 
Despite transmigrations involving intermediate languages, names often retain in their adopted language many of the sounds and therefore phonemes of the original.  For example, the English name ''Esther'' can be traced ultimately back to the Babylonian name for the goddess of love and war, ''Ištar''.<ref>See ''HALOT'' sub אסתר, where beside the Babylonian derivation from ''Ištar'', the Persian ''stāreh'', “young woman,” is listed.</ref> 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.


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.  
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.
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.
----
----
<references/>
<references/>

Revision as of 15:09, 3 October 2013

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.


  1. Eber D. Howe, Mormonism unvailed, or, A faithful account of that singular imposition and delusion (Painesville, Ohio: By the author, 1834).
  2. 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.
  3. See HALOT sub אסתר, where beside the Babylonian derivation from Ištar, the Persian stāreh, “young woman,” is listed.