Esowiki - Spiritual Terms Simply Explained

🗣️ Linguistic Definition: Semitic Peoples

➤ Semitic languages include:

• Ancient Semitic languages:

  • Akkadian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, Biblical Hebrew

• Modern Semitic languages:

  • Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Maltese, Aramaic dialects

So, Semitic peoples are those historically associated with these languages — not a race, but a linguistic group.

🧬 Who are the Semitic Peoples?

Historically, Semites include:

📜 Origins

• The word "Semitic" comes from Shem, one of Noah's sons in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10).

• In the 18th–19th centuries, scholars began classifying languages based on roots — hence the category "Semitic."

• This was originally a linguistic term, but later took on ethno-cultural and even ideological meanings.

🕊️ Religious Context

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam all originated among Semitic-speaking peoples.

• The foundational texts of these religions were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic — all Semitic languages.

⚠️ Misuse of the Term "Semite"

The word has often been misused or distorted, especially in modern political or racial ideologies:

❌ "Semite" ≠ Jewish

• While Jews are Semitic, not all Semitic peoples are Jewish.

• Arabs, for example, are also Semitic.

🛑 "Anti-Semitism"

• This term specifically refers to hatred of Jews, even though technically Arabs and others are also Semites.

• The word was coined in 19th-century Europe in a pseudo-scientific context that racialized Jews — not based on linguistic reality.

🌍 Today

• Hebrew has been revived as the modern language of Israel.

• Arabic remains one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

• Aramaic, once a dominant Semitic language, is now nearly extinct but still preserved in liturgical use (especially in some Christian and Jewish communities).

✨ Summary

• "Semites" = peoples who speak/historically spoke Semitic languages.

• It’s a linguistic and cultural category, not a racial one.

• Includes Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Ethiopians, and others.

• The term has been misused in political and racial ideologies, so context matters greatly.

🏛️ Ancient Semitic Peoples

These groups primarily existed in the Ancient Near East:

📜 East Semitic:

• Akkadians (including:

  • Assyrians

  • Babylonians)

Spoken Akkadian, the earliest known Semitic language (c. 2500 BCE)

🌄 West Semitic:

Divided further into:

➤ Northwest Semitic:

• Canaanites (including:

  • Phoenicians

  • Amorites)

• Hebrews (Ancient Israelites)

• Arameans

• Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites

Languages: Ugaritic, Hebrew, Phoenician, Aramaic

➤ Southwest Semitic:

• Sabeans, Minaeans, Qatabanians, Hadramites (Ancient South Arabian peoples)

Language group: Old South Arabian

🏜️ Modern Semitic Peoples

These are contemporary ethnic or national groups whose cultures or ancestry link to Semitic languages:

🌍 Arabs (Arabic speakers)

• The largest Semitic group today

• Includes many sub-groups:

  • Bedouins, Yemenis, Saudis, Iraqis, Levantines, North Africans (Maghrebis), Gulf Arabs, etc.

✡️ Jews

• Historically spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and various Judeo-languages

• Today: Modern Hebrew is spoken in Israel.

🕊️ Assyrians

• Descendants of the ancient Assyrians

• Speak modern dialects of Aramaic (e.g., Sureth, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic)

• Mostly Christian communities in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and diaspora

🏞️ Ethiopians & Eritreans

• Especially Amhara, Tigrayans, and Tigre

• Speak Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre – South Semitic languages

• Also related to Ge‘ez, the ancient liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

🇲🇹 Maltese

• Speak Maltese, the only Semitic language written in the Latin alphabet and an official EU language

• Evolved from Siculo-Arabic with heavy Italian influence

🧬 Summary Table