GIDGIDDONAH

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Lehite PN 1. General, ca. 4th c. AD (Mormon 6:13)

Etymology

Likely the same as Neo-Assyrian personal name Gid-gi-da-a-n[i], Gid-gid-da-nu, etc. (SAA 1:152:6, r 9; 11:123 ii 13), with long Assyrian ā here equivalent to Hebrew o (JG).[1] The double -dd- is indicative of ultimate borrowing from Sumerian (PYH).

For the reduplication of gd, see Numbers 33:32, Hor-hagidgad.[2] GIDGIDDONI and GIDGIDDONAH may somehow be derived from or related to the biblical Gidgad/Gudgodah (Judges 20:45, Deuteronomy 10:7), and perhaps to Hor-hagidgad, “Hollow of Gidgad” (Numbers 33:32-33), which may be the same location as Arabic Wadi Ghadhaghedh.[3] A connection with GID, GIDDIANHI, GIDDONAH, GIDGIDDONI seems unavoidable.

ḏd-ḏh.wt-iw-f + ʿnh., “Thoth hath said: he shall live,” and ḏd-ḏh.wti-iw-s + ʿnh., “Thoth hath said: she shall live.” On this pattern, the NEPHITE name would be EGYPTIAN dd-dḥ.wty-it-n3 + ʿnḫ., “Thoth hath said: We shall live.”[4]

See GID, GIDDONAH/GIDANAH, GIDDIANHI, GIDGIDDONI.

See also Gidgiddonah Variant

Variants

Sidgiddonah

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐘𐐆𐐔𐐘𐐆𐐔𐐃𐐤𐐂 (ɡɪdɡɪdɔːnɑː)

Notes


  1. The Prosopography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (Helsinki: The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, 1999), 1.2:422-423, cited at John Gee, “Right on Target: Gidgiddoni,” Ether’s Cave Blog, June 12, 2015, online at http://etherscave.blogspot.com/2015/06/right-on-target-gidgiddoni.html , and June 13, 2015, at http://blog.fairmormon.org/2015/06/13/right-on-target-gidgiddoni/ .
  2. It is quite common for Semitic “hollow” roots, such as gd, besides exhibiting long vowels, e.g., gād, to also have quadriliteral variants such as gdgd, as the above HEBREW GN demonstrates. Another similar example is biblical GILGAL from gl or glgl or gll.
  3. J. R. Zorn in Freedman, ed., Anchor Bible Dictionary, III: 287.
  4. Hugh. W. Nibley. "Lehi in the Desert," in The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. 5 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1988), 26.; and "An Approach to the Book of Mormon", in The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, vol. 6 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1988), 287
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