Semite

Semite

See also: semite and sémite

English

Etymology

French sémite, from Late Latin Sem, from Ancient Greek Σημ (Sēm), from Biblical Hebrew שם‎ (šēm).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsiːmaɪt/, /ˈsɛmaɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛmaɪt/

Noun

Semite (plural Semites)

1. A member of a modern people that speak a Semitic language.
2. A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia and East Africa such as the Akkadians, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Arabs and Aksumites.
3. A descendant of any of these peoples.
4. A descendant of the biblical Patriarch Shem.

Related terms

• Semitic
• Semitism

Translations

member of any of a number of ancient peoples

Czech: Semita (cs) m Finnish: seemiläinen (fi) Icelandic: semíti m Irish: Seimíteach m Polish: Semita (pl) m, Semitka (pl) f Portuguese: semita (pt) m or f

descendant of any of these peoples

Arabic: سَامِيّ‎ (ar) m (sāmiyy), سَامِيَّة‎ (ar) f (sāmiyya) Armenian: սեմիտ (semit) Chinese: Mandarin: 閃米特人／闪米特人 (Shǎnmǐtè-rén) Czech: Semita (cs) m Dutch: Semiet (nl) Finnish: seemiläinen (fi) French: sémite (fr) m or f German: Semit (de) m, Semitin f Hebrew: שמי‎ m (shémi), שמית‎ f (shémit) Icelandic: semíti m Irish: Seimíteach m Italian: semita (it) Japanese: セム (ja) (Semu), セム族の人 (Semu-zoku-no hito) Kazakh: семит (semit) Polish: Semita (pl) m, Semitka (pl) f Portuguese: semita (pt) m or f Russian: семи́т (ru) m (semít), семи́тка (ru) f (semítka) Spanish: semita m or f Ukrainian: семі́т m (semít), семі́тка f (semítka) Volapük: (♂♀) semitan (vo), (♂) hisemitan, (♀) jisemitan

Anagrams

• Estime, Timese, mesite