Giddianhi

[Olavarria]

3 Nephi 4:14

And it came to pass that Giddianhi, who had stood and fought with boldness, was pursued as he fled; and being weary because of his much fighting he was overtaken and slain. And thus was the end of Giddianhi the robber.

No etymology for Giddianhi is forthcoming; but Hebrew gdd(גָּדַד), as in "bandits, raiders", lends itself as a possible root.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Pedro A. Olavarria

[bjw]

Seems like I remember an antimormon site saying Giddianhi was derived from "Giddings," a Masonic Grand Master in the state of New York at the time the Smiths were in Palmyra. If it can be proven that it has a Semitic root, I think that would go a long way in refuting this.

[LeSellers]

Seems like I remember an antimormon site saying Giddianhi was derived from "Giddings," a Masonic Grand Master in the state of New York at the time the Smiths were in Palmyra. If it can be proven that it has a Semitic root, I think that would go a long way in refuting this.

If I correctly understand the little of Nibley I think I do, one of his arguments is that many (even most) of the names of apostate Nephites derive from Jaredite roots passed down through the ages as the Nephites and the surrounding communities melded.

If this is the case, Giddianhi may not have any Semitic roots at all. This approach would not be useful. However, if we do take all the dissenters and list their names, we might come up with a pattern that could show us something about who they were.

Naturally, Israelites among the Nephites were not immune to apostasy, so not all who fell away from the Nephite Church of Jesus Christ would have names (similar to names) found in Ether. But I believe a relatively high percentage do.

Lehi

Edited December 5, 2011 by LeSellers