anti-semitic

The term is a modern compound, first appearing in German (antisemitisch) in the late 19th century. It was constructed from the Greek-derived prefix anti- ("against") and Semite, a term coined in 1781 by German historian August Ludwig von Schlözer to describe peoples speaking Semitic languages, derived from the name Shem in the Book of Genesis. While "Semite" linguistically refers to a broader group including Arabs and others, the compound "antisemitic" was specifically created to denote hostility towards Jews, narrowing the original scope of "Semite" in this context. The suffix -ic gives it its adjectival form, creating a word that precisely labels a specific form of racial or ethnic prejudice.

Structure: anti (against) + semit (Semite) + ic (adjective suffix) - anti: From Greek via Latin, meaning "against, opposite". - semit: From the proper name Semite, ultimately from the Biblical name Shem, son of Noah, via Late Latin Sem and German Semit. - ic: A suffix from Greek via Latin and French, used to form adjectives meaning "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of".