IRREANTUM: Difference between revisions
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IRREANTUM may be composed of four elements: a prosthetic aleph, the root ''rwy'', the nominalizing affix ''-an'', and the root ''tmm''. Together, these four elements would yield the literal meaning, “abundant watering of completeness.” This meaning is an acceptable match with the translation given in [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/17/5#5 1 Nephi 17:5], “many waters.”<ref> | IRREANTUM may be composed of four elements: a prosthetic aleph, the root ''rwy'', the nominalizing affix ''-an'', and the root ''tmm''. Together, these four elements would yield the literal meaning, “abundant watering of completeness.” This meaning is an acceptable match with the translation given in [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/17/5#5 1 Nephi 17:5], “many waters.”<ref>The fact that Nephi provides a translation of the transliterated name may indicate that some or all of the name may not have been completely transparent to native Hebrew speakers.<ref> | ||
The root ''rwy'' is common to the West Semitic languages and has the general meaning “thorough watering, to water plentifully.”<ref>That IRREANTUM has a doubled ''/r/'' does not present any problems. None of the West Semitic languages originally indicated in the orthography the doubling of consonants. (Akkadian, the East Semitic language group, did indicate on occasion the doubling of a consonant.) Not until more than a thousand years after the time of Lehi were diacritical marks introduced into written Hebrew and Arabic that indicated the doubling of a consonant. However, the pronunciation of the doubled consonants in Lehi’s day is certain, both on the basis of comparative Semitics and because the doubling Semitic languages is phonemic. | The root ''rwy'' is common to the West Semitic languages and has the general meaning “thorough watering, to water plentifully.”<ref>That IRREANTUM has a doubled ''/r/'' does not present any problems. None of the West Semitic languages originally indicated in the orthography the doubling of consonants. (Akkadian, the East Semitic language group, did indicate on occasion the doubling of a consonant.) Not until more than a thousand years after the time of Lehi were diacritical marks introduced into written Hebrew and Arabic that indicated the doubling of a consonant. However, the pronunciation of the doubled consonants in Lehi’s day is certain, both on the basis of comparative Semitics and because the doubling Semitic languages is phonemic. | ||
Revision as of 23:43, 24 March 2011
| Lehite GN | 1. | Sea, most likely off the Arabian coast, meaning “many waters” (1 Nephi 17:5) |
IRREANTUM may be composed of four elements: a prosthetic aleph, the root rwy, the nominalizing affix -an, and the root tmm. Together, these four elements would yield the literal meaning, “abundant watering of completeness.” This meaning is an acceptable match with the translation given in 1 Nephi 17:5, “many waters.”Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The first attestation, which ends in a water sign suggesting group writing for –um, “waters,” was interpreted by Siegfried Schott as the “mouth of ʿnty-waters,[1] with the dual of ʿnt, “finger, ten thousand” (perhaps to be associated with the dual or plural of ḏb`), which might be taken as the philological equivalent of the Hebrew rb, rbb, “myriad, ten thousand,” the highest number in Hebrew for which there is a word (RFS, “Egyptianisms”).<ref>
Hugh W. Nibley also points out that “one of the more common Egyptian names for the Red Sea was Iaru...[which] is not Egyptian...[and whose] meaning is unknown,” and that “antum” from iny-t and ʿnjt both describe large bodies of water (SC, 196). Also note that “many waters” is a typical Egyptian designation, e.g., Fayyum (SC, 195.).
Notes
- ↑ Schott, Urkunden Mythologischen Inhalts,
Bibliography
Paul Y. Hoskisson, with Brian Hauglid and John Gee, “Irreantum,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11,1 (2002): 90-93.
