adjective

Semitic

sə-MIT-ik

Semitic (adjective) means belonging to a family of related languages of the Middle East and North Africa that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic and ancient Akkadian and Phoenician. Example: “Arabic and Hebrew share a Semitic root system of three consonants.”

adjective

Belonging to a family of related languages of the Middle East and North Africa that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic and ancient Akkadian and Phoenician.

"Arabic and Hebrew share a Semitic root system of three consonants."

"Akkadian is the earliest attested Semitic language."

Relating to the peoples who speak or historically spoke those languages, or to their cultures.

"The excavation uncovered inscriptions in an early Semitic script."

noun

The Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, or a language belonging to it.

"Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet."

How to use Semitic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo do with a group of related Middle Eastern languages such as Arabic and Hebrew, and the people who speak them.

When to use it

Standard scholarly term; always capitalised. Take care not to use it as a synonym for Jewish.

Memory tip

Antisemitic is now usually written as one unhyphenated word with a lower-case s, precisely to avoid implying there is a thing called Semitism.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

antisemitic Sanskrit → Semiotic →

Common pairings

Semitic languages Proto-Semitic West Semitic Semitic roots

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Arabic and Hebrew share a _____ root system of three consonants.

Etymology

From New Latin Semiticus, from Semita, from the Hebrew name Shem, one of Noah's sons, from whom the peoples so called were traditionally said to descend.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for Semitic

critic politic parasitic

See all rhymes for Semitic →

Frequently asked questions

Does Semitic mean Jewish?

No. Semitic is primarily a linguistic and cultural term covering speakers of Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic and related languages, so it takes in far more than Jewish people. The confusion arises because antisemitism, despite its wider-looking name, means prejudice against Jews specifically and has always been used that way.

What is the difference between Semitic and antisemitic?

Semitic describes a language family and the peoples associated with it. Antisemitic means hostile or prejudiced towards Jews, and it is not the negation of Semitic. The term antisemitism entered European use in the nineteenth century already meaning hatred of Jews.

Which languages are Semitic?

The living ones include Arabic and its many varieties, Hebrew, Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre, Maltese and several Neo-Aramaic dialects. Extinct members include Akkadian, Phoenician, Ugaritic, Ge'ez and Classical Aramaic.

What is the meaning of Semitic?

"Semitic" (adjective) means belonging to a family of related languages of the Middle East and North Africa that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic and ancient Akkadian and Phoenician.