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Northwest Semitic

Eurasian Language Families

Northwest Semitic is a division of the Semitic languages comprising indigenous languages of the Levant. It emerged from Proto-Semitic in the Early Bronze Age and is first attested in proper names identified as Amorite in the Middle Bronze Age. The oldest coherent texts are in Ugaritic, dating to the Late Bronze Age, joined by Old Aramaic by the time of the Bronze Age collapse, and by Sutean and the Canaanite languages in the Iron Age.

Facts
Region
Concentrated in the Middle East 1
Proto-Language Status
Northwest Semitic emerged directly from Proto-Semitic during the Early Bronze Age, with no separately named intermediate proto-language in general use. It is first attested in Amorite proper names of the Middle Bronze Age. 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Northwest Semitic languages
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Infobox region field, English Wikipedia article Northwest Semitic languages
    Concentrated in the Middle East
  • Lead paragraph, English Wikipedia article Northwest Semitic languages
    It emerged from Proto-Semitic in the Early Bronze Age. It is first attested in proper names identified as Amorite in the Middle Bronze Age.
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