Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic: Three Languages from One Linguistic Family
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic: Three Languages from One Linguistic Family Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic belong to the Semitic branch of the Afro‑Asiatic language family. They are not variations of one another, but siblings —sharing a deep grammatical logic, core vocabulary patterns, and a distinctive way of encoding meaning. At the heart of all three is the root-and-pattern system : most words are built from consonantal roots (usually three consonants) that carry basic meaning, while vowels and affixes shape grammar and nuance. This shared structure allows ideas to migrate across centuries even as languages diverge. 1. Hebrew: A Language of Covenant and Preservation Origins Emerges in the Late Bronze / Early Iron Age (c. 1200 BCE) Closely related to other Northwest Semitic languages (Phoenician, Moabite) Originally a spoken tribal language in the Levant Historical role Becomes the language of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) After the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE), gradually ...
