HERMOUNTS

Lehite GN

Wilderness, ca. ___ (Alma 2:37)

This entry is not finished

Etymology

A Hebrew and an EGYPTIAN etymology are possible. Biblical Mount Herman, if the -ts and the change in vowel quality can be accounted for, seems the most likely source. Nibley has suggested the EGYPTIAN district Hermonthis, the land of Mont, the EGYPTIAN Pan, god of wild places and things. The Book of Mormon land is the wild borderland country “infested by wild and ravenous beasts” (Alma 2:37) and thus fits the name (SC, 192). However, the name Hermonthis is the Greek rendering from the Coptic armant, which itself comes from the EGYPTIAN pr-mnt', “house of Mont.” Since LEHI would not have had access to Greek renderings of Coptic GNs, and since the EGYPTIAN GN could hardly have been the source for HERMOUNTS, this EGYPTIAN etymology is doubtful (RFS).

Cf. MANTI.

Variants

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐐𐐊𐐡𐐣𐐂𐐤𐐓𐐝 (hʌrmɑnts)

Notes

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