Semitic languages are a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages. The most common Semitic languages spoken today are Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew, and Tigrinya.

Table of contents

1 The Central Semitic languages 1.1 Northwest Semitic languages 1.2 Arabic languages 2 The South Semitic languages 2.3 Western (within South Semitic) 2.4 Eastern (within South Semitic) 3 The Eastern Semitic Languages 4 Common characteristics

The Central Semitic languages

Northwest Semitic languages

• Canaanite languages
  • Hebrew language
  • Amorite language -- extinct
  • Phoenician language -- extinct
  • El Amarna -- extinct
  • Moabite language -- extinct
• Aramaic language
  • Syriac language
• Ugaritic language -- extinct

Arabic languages

• Arabic language
• Maltese language

The South Semitic languages

Western (within South Semitic)

• Ethiopic languages
  • North
    • Tigrinya language
    • Tigre language
    • Ge'ez language -- extinct
  • 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

Eastern (within South Semitic)

• Soqotri language
• Mehri language
• Jibbali language
• Harusi language
• Bathari language
• Hobyot language

The Eastern Semitic Languages

• Akkadian language -- extinct
• Eblaite language -- extinct

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 an adjective

giddel means "he magnified"

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".

Other Afro-Asiatic languages show similar patterns; e.g. in Tamashek Tawa akhluk means "creation" and ikhlakdu "he created".