Semitic

[ suh-mit-ik ]

noun

1. a subfamily of Afroasiatic languages that includes Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Phoenician. : Sem, Sem.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Semites or their languages.
2. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews; Jewish.

Semitic

/ sɪˈmɪtɪk /

noun

1. a branch or subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Amharic, and such ancient languages as Akkadian and Phoenician

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages
2. denoting, belonging to, or characteristic of any of the peoples speaking a Semitic language, esp the Jews or the Arabs
3. another word for Jewish

Semitic

1. A descriptive term for several peoples of the Middle East and their descendants, including Jews (see also Jews ) and Arabs ( see Arab-Israeli conflict ). Today the term is mainly applied to Jews. ( See anti-Semitism .)

Other Words From

• half-Se·mitic adjective
• non-Se·mitic adjective
• pre-Se·mitic adjective noun
• pseudo-Se·mitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Semitic¹

First recorded in 1810–15; from New Latin Sēmīticus, equivalent to Sēmīt(a) “(a) Semite” + -icus adjective suffix; Semite, -ic