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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
The generally accepted theory is that the word Deseret is a word from the Book of Mormon meaning honey bee. The Mormons regard the honey bee as a symbol of industriousness, hence the name Deseret being used for Utah by the Mormons, and the connection between Utah and the beehive symbol. The similarity between the two words "deseret" and "desert" appears to be merely a coincidence.
However, I have seen an alternative theory for the derivation of the word deseret. Ancient Egypt was apparently divided into two parts called, by the Egyptians, Kemet (meaning "black land") and deshret, the bleak "red land" of the desert. The theory obviously maintains that "deshret" changed into "deseret".
The name Utah comes from the Ute Indian tribe.
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Most recently modified 13-Oct-99