Hamitic

The term Hamitic refers to peoples traditionally believed to have been descended from Ham, one of Noah's sons. (See: Sons of Noah) Over history there have been several separate but interrelated interpretations of the term. In the Bible the sons of Ham are peoples who were traditionally enemies of the Jews, notably the Egyptians. Not all such people lived to the south of Israel, but typically Ham's sons were said to have fathered the southern peoples of Africa. During the Middle Ages and up until the early 19th century the term 'Hamitic' was used by Europeans to refer indiscriminately to Africans. In the 19th century the definition was refined. A Hamitic language group was proposed, uniting various, mainly North-African, languages. A Hamitic race was also identified, referring to those Africans that Europeans considered "advanced", or most similar to themselves and to Semitic peoples.

Related Topics:
Ham - Noah - Sons of Noah - Egyptians - Africa - Middle Ages - 19th century - Semitic

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Today the Hamitic concepts have been widely discredited and are often referred to as the Hamitic Myth. The term itself is considered by many to be pejorative. The Hamitic language group is no longer considered a useful concept, though the phrase Semito-Hamitic is a dated term for the Afro-Asiatic group. The notion of a Hamitic race is similarly problematic.

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The Hamitic Myth was used as a justification for European colonial policy in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the slave trade in earlier times.

Related Topics:
Africa - Slave trade

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