semitic
UK[sɪˈmɪtɪk]US[səˈmɪtɪk]
adj
Relating to or denoting a family of languages that includes Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic and certain ancient languages such as Phoenician and Akkadian, constituting the main subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic family.
adj
Relating to the peoples who speak Semitic languages, especially the Jews and Arabs.
Etymology
The term originates from the Late Latin 'Semiticus', which derives from the Greek 'Sēm', the Greek form of the name 'Shem'. In the Book of Genesis, Shem is one of the three sons of Noah, traditionally considered the ancestor of various peoples of the ancient Near East, including the Hebrews, Arabs, and Assyrians. The 18th-century German historian August Ludwig von Schlözer first applied the term 'Semitic' specifically to the related languages spoken by these peoples. Thus, the word evolved from a biblical patronymic into a modern linguistic and ethnological classification, its meaning abstracted from a lineage to a shared linguistic and cultural heritage.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form derived from a proper name. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful English morphemes. Its core is the name 'Shem', a biblical figure.
Examples
Arabic and Hebrew are the two most widely spoken Semitic languages today.
The study of Semitic philology involves comparing ancient texts across several related languages.
Some of the oldest known writing systems, like Akkadian cuneiform, are part of the Semitic family.