Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Semitic |
SemiticAdjective1. Of or relating to the group of Semitic languages; "Semitic tongues have a complicated morphology". 2. Of or relating to or characteristic of Semites; "Semite peoples". Noun1. A major branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "Semitic" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1851. (references) |
Note: Semitic \Sem*it"ic\, adjective. Of or pertaining to Shem or his descendants; belonging to that division of the Caucasian race which includes the Arabs, Jews, and related races. [Written also Shemitic.]. (references) |
"Semitic" is a common misspelling or typo for: semiotic. |
(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."
(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:Other Afro-Asiatic languages show similar patterns; e.g. in Tamashek Tawa akhluk means "creation" and ikhlakdu "he created".
- 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".
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Semitic language."
Synonym: SemiticSynonym: Semite (adj). (additional references) |
Crosswords: Semitic |
| English words defined with "Semitic": Akkadian, Allophylian, Amhara, Amharic, Arabic, Arabic language, Aramaic, Aramaic alphabet, Ashtoreth ♦ Baal ♦ Canaanite, Canaanitic, Canaanitic language ♦ Ethiopian language, Ethiopic ♦ Hamitic, Hamitic language, Hamitic languages, Hebraic alphabet, Hebrew alphabet ♦ Lilith ♦ Paragogic letters, Pehlevi, Phoenician ♦ Semitic-speaking, Semitism, Shemitish ♦ Ugaritic. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "Semitic": scrap. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "Semitic": Sycamore. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Semitic" is also a word in the following language with the English translation in parentheses. Romanian (semitic). |
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | Most involved graffiti, the distribution of anti- Semitic materials, or the display of symbols of banned organizations. (references) | |
Economic History | Syria | Ethnic Syrians are of Semitic stock. (references) |
Ethiopia | Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. (references) | |
Malta | Malta has two official languages--Maltese (a Semitic language) and English. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | SCRAP-:BOOK:, n. A book that is commonly edited by a fool. Many persons of some small distinction compile scrap-books containing whatever they happen to read about themselves or employ others to collect. One of these egotists was addressed in the lines following, by Agamemnon Melancthon Peters: Dear Frank, that scrap-book where you boast You keep a record true Of every kind of peppered roast That's made of you; Wherein you paste the printed gibes That revel round your name, Thinking the laughter of the scribes Attests your fame; Where all the pictures you arrange That comic pencils trace -- Your funny figure and your strange Semitic face -- Pray lend it me. Wit I have not, Nor art, but there I'll list The daily drubbings you'd have got Had God a fist. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Semitic" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 96.15% of the time. "Semitic" is used about 26 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 96.15% | 25 | 69,787 |
| Noun (singular) | 3.85% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 26 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "Semitic": anti semitic ♦ semitic deity ♦ semitic language. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "Semitic": Semitic-speaking. | |
Ending with "Semitic": anti-semitic. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
anti semitic | 27 |
semitic | 14 |
semitic language | 8 |
anti gibson mel semitic | 6 |
anti cartoon chicago semitic tribune | 5 |
anti cartoon semitic | 4 |
anti joke semitic | 3 |
people semitic | 2 |
anti chicago semitic tribune | 2 |
definition semitic | 2 |
interpretation revelation semitic | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "Semitic"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | semit (semite). (various references) | |
Arabic | سامي (supreme). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | семитски език, семитски. (various references) | |
Czech | semitský. (various references) | |
Dutch | Semitisch. (various references) | |
Esperanto | semida. (various references) | |
Farsi | سامی , زبان سامی , ازنژادسام بن نوح . (various references) | |
Finnish | seemiläinen (Semite). (various references) | |
French | sémitique. (various references) | |
German | semitisch. (various references) | |
Greek | σημιτικόσ. (various references) | |
Hebrew | א טישמי (anti semitic). (various references) | |
Hungarian | szemita (semite), sémi (semite). (various references) | |
Italian | semitico (semite). (various references) | |
Manx | shemmagh, semittagh. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | emiticsay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | semítico. (various references) | |
Romanian | semitic, semit (semite). (various references) | |
Russian | семитический. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | semitski. (various references) | |
Spanish | semítico. (various references) | |
Swedish | semitisk (semite). (various references) | |
Turkish | samilere ait, sami dili. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | семітський. (various references) | |
Vietnamese | hệ ngôn ngữ Xê-mít. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Misspellings | |
"Semitic" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Esmati, psammitic, Seametrix, sematic, semotic, siematic, Soemita. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| Words rhyming with "Semitic" (pronounced 'Sem*it"ic'): Abdominothoracic, Abietic, Abietinic, Abiogenetic, Ablastemic, Abrahamic, Acerbic, Aceric, Acetonic, Achromatic, Achronic, Acidic, Acidific, Aclinic, Acologic, Acopic, Acroatic, Acrobatic, Acrocephalic, Acromonogrammatic, Acrotic, Acrylic, Actinic, Actinolitic, Actinophonic, Adelocodonic, Adenographic, Adenotomic, Adiabatic, Adiactinic, Adipic, Adipolytic, Adonic, Adriatic, Adynamic, AEolotropic, Aerobiotic, Aerodynamic, Aerolitic, AEsthesodic, Agamic, Agamogenetic, Agenesic, Agnatic, Agonic, Agonothetic, Agraphic, Agrypnotic, Albinotic, Alcaic. (additional references) |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: miscite. | |
| Words within the letters "c-e-i-i-m-s-t" | |
-1 letter: cities, iciest. | |
-2 letters: cesti, cites, emits, items, mesic, metis, mites, mitis, smite, stime, times. | |
-3 letters: cist, cite, emic, emit, etic, ices, item, mice, mise, mist, mite, sect, semi, sice, site, smit, stem, tics, ties, time. | |
-4 letters: cis, ems, ice, ism, its, met, mis, sec, sei, set, sic, sim, sit, tic, tie, tis. | |
-5 letters: em, es. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-e-i-i-m-s-t" | |
+1 letter: comities, kismetic, meristic, meticais, minciest, miscited, miscites, scimiter, semiotic, trisemic. | |
+2 letters: armistice, centesimi, cretinism, crimpiest, epistemic, eroticism, exoticism, fetichism, hemistich, isometric, misdirect, miticides, poeticism, pumicites, scientism, scimiters, semeiotic, semiotics, semitonic, smectitic, victimise. | |
+3 letters: armistices, asceticism, biochemist, biometrics, calamities, ceramicist, cretinisms, criminates, criteriums, dosimetric, empiricist, eroticisms, erraticism, exoticisms, feministic, fetichisms, hematinics, hemistichs, homiletics, imbricates, implicates, intimacies, isogametic, isometrics, kinematics, lysimetric, matricides, megacities, melanistic, melismatic, metricizes, midsection, militances, minacities, misdirects, mucidities, mucosities, mythicizes, omniscient, poeticisms, polemicist, scepticism, scientisms, scrimpiest, seismicity, semeiotics, semitropic, septicemia, septicemic, skepticism, timepieces, totemistic, ultimacies, victimised, victimises, victimizes, victimless. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Quotations: Non-fiction 6. Usage Frequency 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Derivations 11. Rhymes 12. Anagrams | 13. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
