View source for GADIANTON/GADDIANTON

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Lehite PN 
|Rebel, thief, and murderer, head of secret band of robbers and assassins, mid-1st century BC ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/2.4?lang=eng#3 Helaman 2:4]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/2.28?lang=eng#27 Mormon 2:28]). GADDIANTON IN [[Original Manuscipt of the Book of Mormon.|O]] manuscript at [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/2.11-12?lang=eng#10 Helaman 2:11-12]. 
|}
As pointed out by [[John W. Welch|Jack Welch]] in 1985, the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] word for “band/bandits.” is spelled with the double-''d'', ''gĕdûd''.<ref>[[John W. Welch|Welch]] “Thieves and Robbers,” July 1985 [[Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies|FARMS]] Update (reprinted in [[John W. Welch|J.W. Welch]], ed., Re-exploring the Book of Mormon, 248-249)</ref> In fact, the [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] phrase ''’îš gĕdûdîm'' “band of robbers” is even used in [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/hosea/6.9?lang=eng#8 Hosea 6:9] (cf. [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/hosea/7.1?lang=eng#primary Hosea 7:1] “bandits” [[New Revised Standard Version of the Bible|NRSV]]; [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/job/19.12?lang=eng#11 Job 19:12] “troops” [[New Revised Standard Version of the Bible|NRSV]]). Thus perhaps the name is metonymic or a symbolic epithet. This might also apply to later [[GIDDIANHI|G<small>IDDIANHI</small>]] (note the double-''d''), who was also chief of his powerful criminal conspiracy ([http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/3?lang=eng 3 Nephi 3]). This explains the basic root word, but does not explain -IANTON, or -IANHI. (See the [[Paul Y. Hoskisson|PYH]] “Introduction” for “-nt-” constructions). 

This name may also be an expansion of the biblical PN GAD (which see), and perhaps related to the Book of Mormon PN GADIANDI (which see). 

Unlikely are the suggestions from [[HEBREW|H<small>EBREW</small>]] * ''gādî-ʿāntôn'', “my fortune is oppression/affliction/rapine,” from ''gād'', “lot, good fortune, riches, name of good fortune” + ''ʿĕnût'', “labor upon, exercise upon, oppress, afflict,” in ''piel'' “rape,” with noun afformatives -''t'' and -''ōn''; or perhaps  ''gad-ya-nton'', “fortune is given by Yah,” with ''ntn'', “to give” ([[Robert F. Smith|RFS]]). The root of ''ʿĕnût'' and ''ntn'' both would require a vowel between the “n” and the “t,” but for different reasons. 

See [[GADIANDI|G<small>ADIANDI</small>]], [[GADIOMNAH|G<small>ADIOMNAH</small>]], [[GAD|G<small>AD</small>]], [[AMNIGADDAH|A<small>MNIGADDAH</small>]], [[MORIANTON|M<small>ORIANTON</small>]], [[CORIANTON|C<small>ORIANTON</small>]].

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Names]]