Adamic language

Categories: Proto-languages | Latter Day Saint doctrines, beliefs, and practices | Languages whose existence is uncertain

The Adamic language is a term for the hypothetical proto-language believed spoken by Adam in paradise, either identical with the language used by God to address Adam, or invented by Adam as nomothete (name-giver, Genesis 2:19). It is unclear whether the Bible assumes that this language was preserved by Adam's descendents until the confusion of tongues (Genesis 11:1-9), or that it began to evolve naturally as a consequence of Original sin (Genesis 10:5).

In previous centuries, many scholars believed that the Adamic language was Biblical Hebrew, and that all languages are descended from it. The Bible does not make a direct claim to that extent, however, and some Early Modern scholars based on Genesis 10:5 have assumed that the Japhetite languages are rather the direct descendents of the Adamic language, having separated before the confusion of tongues, by which also Hebrew was affected.

The modern concept corresponding to that of the Adamic language is that of the Proto-World language, but rather than positing divine inspiration, linguists assume that it arose from proto-linguistic forms of communication.

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The Adamic language in Mormonism

In Mormonism, the Adamic language has been thought by some Latter Day Saints to be the language of God. Though different from Hebrew, the Hebrew language was thought to contain remnants of this ancient language, including the words Elohim and Jehovah. According to Joseph Smith, Jr.'s translation of the Bible, this language was "pure and undefiled" (Book of Moses 6:6).

Some early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement, including founder Joseph Smith, Jr. (JD 2:342), and Latter-day Saint leaders Brigham Young (HC 1:297) and Elizabeth Ann Whitney (7 Woman's Exponent 83 (Nov. 1, 1878)) claimed to have received several words in the Adamic language in revelations. Some Latter Day Saints believe that the Adamic language will be restored as the universal language of humankind at the end of the world.

The name of the Mormon settlement "Adam-ondi-Ahman" in Daviess County, Missouri, US, is said to be in the Adamic language. Also, some allegedly Adamic words were used in the Temple Endowment prior to 1990. While no written copy of them is available, they were pronounced the same as the English words "Pay Lay El". The given English translation was "Oh God, hear the words of my mouth." The English translation is used in the rite today.

Other words thought by some Mormons to derive from the Adamic language include deseret ("honey bee", see Ether 2:3), Ahman ("God"), son Ahman ("Son of God", see LDS D&C 78:20, 95:17), sons Ahman ("sons of God"), and shelem ("height", see Ether 3:1). Nauvoo ("beautiful") is also often popularly attributed to Adamic, but it is actually a Sephardi Hebrew word (Standard Hebrew נאוו navu).

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