Semitic Languages The Eastern Semitic Languages The Central

The term "Semitic" for these language is etymologically a misnomer in some ways (see Semitic), but is the standard term in linguistics.

The classification given below is probably the most widespread - following Robert Hetzron - but is still disputed; in particular, several Semitists still argue for the traditional view of Arabic as part of South Semitic, and a few (eg Alexander Militarev ) see the South Arabian languages as a third branch of Semitic alongside East and West Semitic, rather than as a subgroup of South Semitic.

1 The Eastern Semitic Languages

Controversial (either East Semitic or Northwest Semitic): Eblaite language -- extinct

2 The Central Semitic languages

2.1 Northwest Semitic languages

2.2 South Central (Arabic) languages

Arabic language
Maltese languageMaltese is the national language of Malta, and an official language of the European Union. It is derived from and most closely related to Arabic in particular, the North African dialect but in the course of its history it has adopted many loans and even p

3 The South Semitic languages

3.1 Western (within South Semitic)

Ethiopic languages
- North
- 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
- Sabaean language -- extinct
- Minaean language -- extinct
- Qatabanian language -- extinct
- Hadhramautic languages -- extinct

3.2 Eastern (within South Semitic)

Soqotri language
Mehri language
Jibbali language
Harsusi language
Bathari language
Hobyot language

4 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:

gdl means "big" but is no part of speech and not a word, just a root

gadol means "big" and is a masculine adjective

gdola means "big" (feminine adjective)

giddel means "he grew" (transitive verb)

gadal means "he grew" (intransitive verb)

higdil means "he magnified" (transitive verb)

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".

Many roots are shared among more than one Semitic language. For example, the root ktb, a root signifying writing, exists in both Hebrew and Arabic ("he wrote" is rendered in Hebrew katav and in Classical Arabic kataba).

The following list will provide some equivalent words in Semitic languages.

Akkadian	Aramaic	Arabic	Hebrew	English translation
zikaru	dikrā	ḏakar	zåḵår	Male
maliku	malkā	malik	meleḵ	King
imêru	ḥamarā	ḥimār	ḥamor	Donkey
erṣetu	ʔarʿā	ʔarḍ	ʔereṣ	Land

Sometimes certain roots differ in meaning from one Semitic language to another. For example, the root b-y-ḍ in Arabic has the meaning of "white" as well as "egg", whereas in Hebrew it only means "egg". The root l-b-n means "milk" in Arabic, but the color "white" in Hebrew.

Of course, there is sometimes no relation between the roots. For example, "knowledge" is represented in Hebrew by the root y-d-ʿ but in Arabic by the roots ʿ-r-f and ʿ-l-m.

Other Afro-Asiatic languages show similar patterns, but more usually with biconsonantal roots; e.g. in Kabyle afeg means "fly!", while affug means "flight", and yufeg means "he flew".

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