IRREANTUM: Difference between revisions
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The element -ān is a common affix (a particle appended to a word) used in all the Semitic languages, including ancient South Semitic. It occurs Aespecially in abstracts,<ref>meaning abstract nouns, similar to the use of the affix "-ship" in the English word "kingship." An abstraction from "watering" seems to fit the requirement here that IRREANTUM have something to do with "water."<ref> | The element -ān is a common affix (a particle appended to a word) used in all the Semitic languages, including ancient South Semitic. It occurs Aespecially in abstracts,<ref>meaning abstract nouns, similar to the use of the affix "-ship" in the English word "kingship." An abstraction from "watering" seems to fit the requirement here that IRREANTUM have something to do with "water."<ref> | ||
The final element, tmm, could well be the common West Semitic root meaning “complete, whole; innocent, perfect; etc. Both the noun form and the infinitive form in Hebrew are tōm, which reverts to its earliest form, tūm, when it is not stressed. Together with the first part of IRREANTUM, the name would mean, somewhat literally, “abundant watering of completeness,” or “fully abundant waters.” That Irrean and tum are separate words would also explain why the /n/ does not assimilate to the following /t/, which always happens within a word of Hebrew origin, but not when the /n/ ends one word and the /t/ begins another. | The final element, ''tmm,'' could well be the common West Semitic root meaning “complete, whole; innocent, perfect; etc. Both the noun form and the infinitive form in Hebrew are tōm, which reverts to its earliest form, tūm, when it is not stressed. Together with the first part of IRREANTUM, the name would mean, somewhat literally, “abundant watering of completeness,” or “fully abundant waters.” That ''Irrean'' and ''tum'' are separate words would also explain why the ''/n/'' does not assimilate to the following ''/t/'', which always happens within a word of Hebrew origin, but not when the ''/n/'' ends one word and the ''/t/'' begins another. | ||
It is possible that the Akkadian city name URUa-ri-ia-an-ta in north-west Syria (Michael .C. Astour, “The Partition of the Confederacy of Mukiš-Nuhašše-Nii by Šuppiluliuma,” Orientalia 38 [1969] 410) could be etymologically related to IRREANTUM. (PYH) | It is possible that the Akkadian city name ''URUa-ri-ia-an-ta'' in north-west Syria (Michael .C. Astour, “The Partition of the Confederacy of Mukiš-Nuhašše-Nii by Šuppiluliuma,” ''Orientalia'' 38 [1969] 410) could be etymologically related to IRREANTUM. (PYH) | ||
Several Egyptian etymologies have been proposed. Hugh W. Nibley privately suggested as possible sources r3-ʿntyw-m, and r3-n(n)-t3[]wm-dšr, which are variant readings in the Louvre and British Museum manuscripts of a mythological papyrus. The second instance may mean something like “mouth of the Red Sea.”<ref>Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, XXX</ref> 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,<ref>Schott, Urkunden Mythologischen Inhalts, </ref> 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”).< | Several Egyptian etymologies have been proposed. Hugh W. Nibley privately suggested as possible sources ''r3-ʿntyw-m,'' and ''r3-n(n)-t3[]wm-dšr,'' which are variant readings in the Louvre and British Museum manuscripts of a mythological papyrus. The second instance may mean something like “mouth of the Red Sea.”<ref>Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, XXX</ref> 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,<ref>Schott, Urkunden Mythologischen Inhalts, </ref> 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.). | 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== | ==Notes== | ||
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==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
Paul Y. Hoskisson, with Brian Hauglid and John Gee, “Irreantum,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11,1 (2002): 90-93. | Paul Y. Hoskisson, with Brian Hauglid and John Gee, “Irreantum,” ''Journal of Book of Mormon Studies'' 11,1 (2002): 90-93. | ||
[[Category:Names]] | [[Category:Names]] | ||
Revision as of 23:41, 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.
