Irreantum is a name given by Lehi’s party to a particular large body of water they encountered during their travels in the wilderness, as recorded in the Book of Mormon. This body of water, described in 1 Nephi 17:5, likely played a significant role as the point of embarkation for the group’s transoceanic voyage to the promised land. The text interprets the name Irreantum as “many waters,” a description that suggests it was a considerable expanse of water, potentially correlating to a sea known to the group from their prior experiences or reminiscent of the vast seas mentioned in their Hebrew tradition.
The terminology employed may suggest links to Semitic and possibly Egyptian linguistic elements, with hypothetical etymologies proposing meanings that reinforce the concept conveyed by the translation “many waters.” The name has therefore been analyzed for its phonetic and semantic resonance with languages familiar to the peoples of the ancient Near East, though the exact linguistic derivation remains a matter of scholarly discourse. Irreantum stands out in the text as one of the few geographic terms that is accompanied by an explicit interpretation, indicating that its significance necessitated clarification for those who would later read the plates.