Semites, semetic, semitism, etc. are people or words that drive from the Stone Age root *SM, the origin of English small and smile. The only nation bearing a name that derives from *SM is the Sumite nation whose clans and future generations include the Sumerians of Southern Iraq, the Canaanites of Arabia, Lebanon and other parts of the world.
As early Sunites, originally from the highlands of Ethiopia, worked with Adites and A‛adites in Arabia and beyond, Adites assinged them a name with ‘s’ (Sum) whereas A‛adites assigned them the name in š (sh).
Akkadian:
- šumēru : [Humanities → Geography → Countries] Sumerian (language / version) ;
- šumērû : [Humanities → Geography → Countries] Sumerian;
It appears certain Akkadian speakers did not think favourably of Sumites hence:
- samû : [Moral life → Feelings] G. to vacillate, be undecided ; to be undependable ; to be inept ; to stray / to drift boat Gtn. to stray, deviate D. to make stray, deviate , to distract ; 2) adjective : : undecided , vacillating;
These two entries in Akkadian may have been applied to Sumites but it is possible the colours were those influenced by the Sun. This is because saʾmu and sama mean “sky,” and by association the Sun.
- samû : [Moral life → Feelings] undecided , vacillating , wavering , waffling (?) ;
- saʾmu : [Colors] sāmu sāndu [Colors]1) red, brown , ruddy ; 2) blond ; Cf. siāmuVariants : saʾmu
- sāmu : [Colors] 1) red, brown , ruddy ; 2) blond;
Arabs, Arabians, Jews, etc. are neither Semites nor Semitic, a name which may have been motivated by religious considerations.
Last modified: December 30, 2022
