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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Aniam

Aniam meaning

אניעם

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Aniam.html

🔼The name Aniam: Summary

Meaning
Prospectors, Bunch Of Whiny Beggars, Lament Of The People
Etymology
From (1) the verb אנה ('ana), to prospect or panhandle, and (2) the noun עם ('am), people or kinsman.

🔼The name Aniam in the Bible

The name Aniam occurs only once in the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 7:19 he is listed as one of the sons of Shemida of Manasseh, but that's all we hear about this man.

🔼Etymology of the name Aniam

The name Aniam consists of two elements, the first of which appears to derive from the root אנה ('ana):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אנה

Verb אנה ('ana I) appears to mean to mourn, or perhaps rather: to convey laments according to some situation and upon some receiving audience. Nouns אניה ('aniya) and תאניה (ta'aniya) both mean mourning.

Identical verb אנה ('ana II) appears to mean to convey goods between far away markets. Noun אניה ('oniya) means ship and noun אני ('oni) means fleet.

Identical verb אנה ('ana III) means to be opportune or to encounter opportunely. Nouns תאנה (ta'ana) and תאנה (to'ana) mean occasion or opportune moment.

The second part of our name is the noun עם ('im), meaning people:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
עמם

The verb עמם ('mm) probably expressed to be inclusive or comprehensive. Its rare uses in the Bible relate to making secrets or making info available to an in-crowd. Preposition עם ('im) means 'with', מעם (me'im) means 'from', and עמה ('umma) means 'beside'. Noun עם ('am) means a people, ranging from all of mankind to the in-crowd of a small village. Noun עם ('am) refers to one's (paternal) kinsman.

🔼Aniam meaning

For a meaning of the name Aniam, both NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary read Lament Of The People. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Sorrow Of The People.

But note that our name may just as well be derived from the noun אני ('oni), meaning fleet, and mean Fleet Of The People.

Quite possibly even, our name may have belonged to a social category of people who went around loudly complaining and begging, or even prospectors and speculators who sent their empty ships (or camels and tradesmen) out to distant lands to see what folks there would willingly part with. The Phoenicians created their empire through the willing participation of the people they visited — rather unlike the Romans, who simply looted everything and destroyed what was left.