Hamitic

/həˈmɪtɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or belonging to Hamites, their languages, or cultures; historically used to classify certain African and Middle Eastern language families.

Etymology

From 'Hamite' plus '-ic' (relating to or having the nature of). Originally proposed as a language classification system in the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Linguists now call it 'Afro-Asiatic' instead of 'Hamitic' because they realized the old name was based on outdated ideas about race rather than actual language similarities.

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