Which races are semitic (jews are not the only ones)?

Question

I asked this question before, but apparently someone doesn't understand that the word 'semitic' is not a racial insult, because they reported my question as a violation. It was deleted almost as soon as I posted it.

Anyways, I'm curious. Which races are semitic?

Answer 1

One source gave this definition:

"Languages spoken by the Semitic peoples (comp. Semites). These peoples are the North-Arabians, the South-Arabians, the Abyssinians (ancient and modern), the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians, the various Aramean tribes, the Hebrews and their kindred (the Moabites and Edomites), the Canaanites, and the Phenicians and their colonies."

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.j...

Another source:

"In historic times all Western Asia (see below), with the exception of the peninsula of Asia Minor, was Semitic. From the philological point of view the Semitic peoples are divided into four chief Babylonian-Assyrian Semites (East Semites), Chanaanitic Semites, (West Semites), Aramaic Semites (North Semites), and Arabian Semites (South Semites). The last-named group is divided into North and South Arabians, of which last the Abyssinians are a branch. The first three groups are usually termed North Semites, in contrast to the Arabian group, or South Semites. But the classification of the Babylonian with the Aramaic and Chanaanitic Semites is not permissible from the philological point of view. "

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13706a.h...

A third:

"A member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and northern Africa, including the Arabs, Arameans, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, and Phoenicians."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Semite

Given the information it would appear most of the Middle East can be called Semitic.

Answer 2

jewish isnt a race!

Answer 3

All of the Arabs are Semitic.

Answer 4

Semitic races are descendants of Shem,originating in southwestern Asia,  which would include Arab, Assyrian, Phoenician, Syrian, Chaldean, Hebrew

Answer 5

I really wouldn't be using the term race to describe Semitics, cultural groups would be a little more appropriate. Anyways, Semitic modernly refers to a linguistic language family limited to the middle east. Most of the these languages are no longer in use (Hebrew is the most prolific of current Semitic languages) but they are survived by peoples in Israel, Ethiopia, Malta, and some Arabic and Bedouins tribes.