Semitic Definition

Contents

• 1 English
  • 1.1 Pronunciation
  • 1.2 Etymology
  • 1.3 Adjective
    • 1.3.1 Alternative spellings
    • 1.3.2 Translations
  • 1.4 Proper noun
    • 1.4.1 See also
    • 1.4.2 External links
  • 1.5 Related terms
  • 1.6 See also

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /sɛˈmɪ.tɪk/, /səˈmɪ.tɪk/, SAMPA: /sE"mI.tIk/, /s@"mI.tIk/,

Etymology

From the English Semite, an 18th century ethnological label derived from the Greek Σημ, Sēm, from the German semitisch, from the Hebrew שֵׂם, Šēm Shem, the name of the eldest son of Noah in biblical tradition (Genesis 5.32, 6.10, 10.21), considered the forefather of the Semitic peoples. Perhaps derived from the Akkadian šumu, name or son.

Adjective

Semitic (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to a subdivision of Afro-Asiatic Semitic languages: Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, Hebrew, Maltese, Tigrigna, Phoenician etc.
2. Of or pertaining to the Semites: Semitic people.
3. (Biblical) Of or pertaining to the descendants of Shem, the eldest of three sons of Noah.
4. In a narrower sense, of or pertaining to the Israeli, Jewish, or Hebrew people.

Alternative spellings

• semitic

Proper noun

Semitic

1. The Semitic languages in general.

See also

• Category:Semitic derivations

External links

• ISO 639-5 code [1]

Related terms

• Semite
• anti-Semite
• anti-Semitic
• Semitics
• Semitism
• anti-Semitism

See also

• Wikipedia article on Semitic languages.
• Wikipedia article on Shem.
• Wikipedia article on Sons of Noah.

Related 'Semitic' Searches:

See Also:

• Semitic