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The '''Semitic languages''' are a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The main and most well known Semitic languages are [[Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]] ([[Syriac]]), [[Arabic]], and [[Amharic]]. But modern versions of dialects of some of these languages show intermingling with and influence by some [[Indo-European language]]s.  

The '''Semitic languages''' are a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The main and most well known Semitic languages are [[Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]] ([[Syriac]]), [[Arabic]], and [[Amharic]]. But modern versions of dialects of some of these languages show intermingling with and influence by some [[Indo-European language]]s.  

Semitic languages are "root" languages -  with basic meanings of words derived from the consonants. This is different than English and other Indo-Eurpean languages where the vowels have equal weight as the consonants. Thus, in Hebrew, the consonants KTB (or V) have something to do with "writing". From this basic root, there is derived KoTeV=writing or author, KaTTav= reporter, KaTuV=written, K'TuVim= Scriptures, KaTaVti= I wrote, eK(kh)ToV=I will write, K'ToVet=inscription or address, and so on. This "root" aspect of Hebrew is common to all Semitic languages. Thus, in Arabic, KTB appears in KaTaBa= "he wrote", maKTuB= "letter", KaaTiB= author, KuTiBat=it (fem.) was written, etc. In Aramaic, KTB appears in KeTaV= "he wrote", KaTVat= "she wrote", KeTuBa= "marriage contract", KeTiVat= was written (feminine), KaaTiV= writing. (In Aramaic the definite article for "the" is A (Aleph) added at the end of a noun rather than at the front. Thus the Hebrew "HaMeLeKH"= the King, becomes in Aramaic MaLKA)  

Semitic languages are "root" languages -  with basic meanings of words derived from the consonants. This is different than English and other Indo-European languages where the vowels have equal weight as the consonants. Thus, in Hebrew, the consonants KTB (or V) have something to do with "writing". From this basic root, there is derived KoTeV=writing or author, KaTTav= reporter, KaTuV=written, K'TuVim= Scriptures, KaTaVti= I wrote, eK(kh)ToV=I will write, K'ToVet=inscription or address, and so on. This "root" aspect of Hebrew is common to all Semitic languages. Thus, in Arabic, KTB appears in KaTaBa= "he wrote", maKTuB= "letter", KaaTiB= author, KuTiBat=it (fem.) was written, etc. In Aramaic, KTB appears in KeTaV= "he wrote", KaTVat= "she wrote", KeTuBa= "marriage contract", KeTiVat= was written (feminine), KaaTiV= writing. (In Aramaic the definite article for "the" is A (Aleph) added at the end of a noun rather than at the front. Thus the Hebrew "HaMeLeKH"= the King, becomes in Aramaic MaLKA)  

The following examples of Semitic language structure use Hebrew, in the main, as examples to differentiate from IndoEuropean language, but other Semitic languages follow the same pattern.  

The following examples of Semitic language structure use Hebrew, in the main, as examples to differentiate from IndoEuropean language, but other Semitic languages follow the same pattern.  

==Ge'ez==

==Ge'ez==

Ge'ez was a [[Semitic language]] spoken in Ethiopia, which used an alphabet based on the alphabets of the Semitic peoples.<ref name="a">http://www.ethiopianhistory.com/Ge'ez</ref> It was the language of the [[Kingdom of Aksum]], which is located in present day [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="a"/> It has been compared to [[Latin]], by some, in that the three languages spoken in Ethiopia are derived from it, similar to how [[Latin]] developed into [[Italian]], [[Spanish]], [[French]] and other languages.

Ge'ez was a [[Semitic language]] spoken in Ethiopia, which used an alphabet based on the alphabets of the Semitic peoples.<ref name="a">http://www.ethiopianhistory.com/Ge'ez</ref> It was the language of the [[Kingdom of Aksum]], which is located in present-day [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="a"/> It has been compared to [[Latin]], by some, in that the three languages spoken in Ethiopia are derived from it, similar to how [[Latin]] developed into [[Italian]], [[Spanish]], [[French]] and other languages.

==Differences between Semitic and Indo-European language structure==

==Differences between Semitic and Indo-European language structure==