Although it is interesting to work out the interrelationships among these values, Mormon does not include them so that his readers can make change in a Nephite market. He does provide more information than we might need, but there are some of the names of the measures that are important. First, we find that there is an “ezrom” of silver. That is likely to have been the root for Ze-ezrom. It has been suggested that the name might simply be a designation of “silver guy.”
We also learn that one term for a measurement of gold is an “antion.” We will see that root in another lawyer, “gold guy” Antionah in Ammonihah. We will also see it as the root of Antionum, the city of the Zoramites. The probability that the name of the Zoramite city is to be seen as a metonym comes from the disparity between the name of the city and the people, since Mormon has already told us that a city and its people were named for their founder (Alma 8:7). Thus, the city and the people should be the same. When we understand that the Zoramites are also lovers of sumptuous goods, we understand why Mormon used that particular name for them.
In all of these cases, we would not understand the underlying implications of the names, if we didn’t have this list. That becomes the most probable reason that Mormon entered it, although it does help to understand that an “onti” is the largest measure and, therefore, underscores the nature of the bribe that will be offered.
As a final cultural note, the fact that the name for the measure is different based upon what is being measured confirms that we are dealing with a system of weights and measures, rather than a system based on any agreed upon value. Modern monetary systems are based on an accepted common unit of value, therefore, there are names for divisions, but not based on what is being valued. The need for the names tells us that all of these units were valued and could be used in exchange.