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SEMITIC LANGUAGES

Specialty Definition: Semitic

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Semitic is an adjective that describes things originating from the Asian Middle East. Most commonly, it is used to refer to speakers of Semitic languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, or Amharic.

Although the term literally means, the descendants of Shem the people who are described as descendants of Shem in the bible are not necessarily the same as those who would be considered Semitic linguistically. There is no historical evidence to support the existence of this biblical character, although modern research has found genetic links between Arabs and ethnic Jews, indicating that they decend from a common population [1].

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites are descended from Shem (one of the sons of Noah) through Abraham. Today's Jews are mostly descended from the Israelites of Judah, and thus are sometimes popularly identified as Israelites themselves. Note that over time people joined the Jews, and married with the descendants of the Israelites. The number of converts is not trivial, but not so large as to swamp out the origin. See the article on Israelites for more detail.

The area of Semitic languages is actually much larger than the area most people associate with the term "Semitic". While the term itself covers a geographical area from the Sinai to Iraq, and from Syria to Yemen, Semitic languages stretch all the way along the southern Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, into Mali and along the coast of the Red Sea all the way to Somalia in Africa. Semitic languages are also spoken in Malta and on some islands in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, millions of Muslims speak Classical (Qur’ānic) Arabic as a second language, and many Jews all over the world speak Hebrew as a second language.

It should also be noted that Coptic, Berber, Somali, and related languages are members of other subgroups in the Afro-Asiatic language family, not of the Semitic subgroup.

Some consider that Anti-semitism is a term used to describe anti-Jewish statements or beliefs, not beliefs directed against Semitic things in general.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Semitic."

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Semitic language

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Semitic languages are a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages. The most common Semitic languages spoken today are Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew, and Tigrinya.

The Central Semitic languages

Northwest Semitic languages

• Canaanite languages
  • Hebrew language
  • Amorite language -- extinct
  • Phoenician language -- extinct
  • El Amarna -- extinct
  • Moabite language -- extinct
• Aramaic language
  • Syriac language
• Ugaritic language -- extinct

Arabic languages

• Arabic language
• Maltese language

The South Semitic languages

Western (within South Semitic)

• Ethiopic languages
  • North
    • Tigrinya language
    • Tigre language
    • Ge'ez language -- extinct
  • South
    • Transverse
      • Amharic language
      • Argobba language
      • Harari language
      • East Gurage languages
        • Selti language
        • Wolane language
        • Zway language
        • Ulbare language
        • Inneqor language
    • Outer
      • Soddo language
      • Goggot language
      • Muher language
      • West Gurage languages
        • Masqan language
        • Ezha language
        • Gura language
        • Gyeto language
        • Ennemor language
        • Endegen language
• Old South Arabian -- extinct

Eastern (within South Semitic)

• Soqotri language
• Mehri language
• Jibbali language
• Harusi language
• Bathari language
• Hobyot language

The Eastern Semitic Languages

• Akkadian language -- extinct
• Eblaite language -- extinct

Common characteristics

These languages all exhibit a pattern of words consisting of triconsonantal roots, with vowel changes, prefixes, and suffixes used to inflect them. For instance, in Hebrew:

gdl means "big" but is no part of speech and not a word, just a root

gadol means "big" and is an adjective

giddel means "he magnified"

magdelet means "magnifier" (lens)

spr is the root for "count" or "recount"

sefer means "book" (containing tales which are recounted)

sofer means "scribe" (Masoretic scribes counted verses)

mispar means "number".

Other Afro-Asiatic languages show similar patterns; e.g. in Tamashek Tawa akhluk means "creation" and ikhlakdu "he created".

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Semitic language."

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