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Glite Dictionary
Afro-Asiatic

Afro-Asiatic

8.2
A group of related languages spoken in parts of Africa and Asia, like Arabic and Berber
  • noun
  • /ˌæfroʊ əˈziːətɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : afroasiático
  • Arabic and Hebrew are both part of the Afro-Asiatic language family.

Examples

  • Many Berber dialects are classified as Afro-Asiatic languages.

  • The Afro-Asiatic language family includes many diverse languages.

  • The origin of the Afro-Asiatic languages has been widely debated among linguists.

  • Many scholars study Afro-Asiatic languages for their historical significance.

  • Arabic and Hebrew are both part of the Afro-Asiatic language family.

  • Many Berber dialects are classified as Afro-Asiatic languages.

  • The origin of the Afro-Asiatic languages has been widely debated among linguists.

Synonyms

Afrasian
vsAfro-Asiatic
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of related languages spoken in Africa and Asia, such as Arabic and Hebrew

is the same family but usually called by a different modern name
Hamito-Semitic
vsAfro-Asiatic
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of related languages spoken in North Africa and southwest Asia, like Arabic and Hebrew

recognizes the group as a current broader family including more branches like Cushitic

Surface Forms

Afro-Asiatic singular
Afro-Asiatic languages plural
Afro-Asiatics plural

Morphology

Afro-Asiatic = Afro + Asiatic (transparent) = Afro + Asia + ic

Both elements are productive and semantically clear ('Afro' = African, 'Asiatic' = Asian), so the compound clearly denotes the languages spanning Africa and Asia.

Etymology

Afro-Asiatic comes from the parts Afro- meaning 'Africa' and Asiatic meaning 'Asia'. So it names a family of languages that are spoken in parts of both Africa and Asia.