Today, I have been browsing the 1832 and 1834 editions of Joshua Seixas' Hebrew grammars which were used by the Prophet Joseph Smith et al. when Seixas taught them (Sephardic) Hebrew (I studied Hebrew and Greek in university, so I find such things to be "fun" [it is part of the preparation for a series of lessons on the King Follett Discourse and Sermon in the Grove]).
On p. 28 of the 1832 edition, we find the following:
On p. 111 of the 1834 edition, one finds the following:
This shows that the following comment from p. 156 of the 1st ed (1945) of Fawn Brodie's biography of Joseph Smith, No Man Knows my History:
In reality, "Nauvoo" is a valid Sephardic Hebrew transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning "to be comely." To be fair, Brodie in later editions of her book would edit this passage admitting that it was a genuine Hebrew word, though it is a criticism still forwarded by Latayne Scott (The Mormon Mirage) and some other critics who obviously do not know Hebrew.
Furthermore, it should be noted that נַאֲוָה appears in the Hebrew Bible (Psa 93:5; Song 1:10; Isa 52:7).
On p. 28 of the 1832 edition, we find the following:
On p. 111 of the 1834 edition, one finds the following:
This shows that the following comment from p. 156 of the 1st ed (1945) of Fawn Brodie's biography of Joseph Smith, No Man Knows my History:
When Joseph Smith stood on this hill after his escape from Missouri in 1839, the spot was wooded and trackless and swamps covered the lowlands behind him. But he could see the glistening river with its islands lying to the north like lush garden places, and the green Iowa hills beyond. ‘It is a beautiful site,’ he said fervently, ‘and it shall be called Nauvoo, which means in Hebrew a beautiful plantation.’ The name sprang fresh out of his fancy, and though a few of his pedant followers were troubled that the word was not listed in their Hebrew dictionaries, most of the Saints were pleased with the choice. “Nauvoo” had the melancholy music of a mourning dove’s call and somehow matched the magic of the site.
In reality, "Nauvoo" is a valid Sephardic Hebrew transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning "to be comely." To be fair, Brodie in later editions of her book would edit this passage admitting that it was a genuine Hebrew word, though it is a criticism still forwarded by Latayne Scott (The Mormon Mirage) and some other critics who obviously do not know Hebrew.
Furthermore, it should be noted that נַאֲוָה appears in the Hebrew Bible (Psa 93:5; Song 1:10; Isa 52:7).