Are Semitic People Caucasian?

Yes, historically, Semitic people were indeed classified as a subgroup within the broader Caucasian or Caucasoid race.

Understanding Historical Racial Classifications

The concept of a "Caucasian race" or "Caucasoid peoples" emerged as a significant classification in historical physical anthropology and ethnology. This classification was used to group various populations primarily from Europe, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia, based on perceived shared physical traits.

Within this historical framework, the Caucasoid peoples were typically understood to consist of several major subtypes. These distinctions were often made on ethnolinguistic grounds, categorizing groups based on their associated language families.

Subdivisions of Caucasoid Peoples

Historically, the Caucasoid group was commonly divided into three main categories:

• Aryan: Primarily associated with speakers of Indo-European languages.
• Semitic: Connected to populations speaking Semitic languages, which include languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Amharic. This is the category under which Semitic peoples were classified as Caucasian.
• Hamitic: Linked to speakers of Hamitic languages, encompassing various languages such as Berber, Cushitic, and Ancient Egyptian.

It is important to note that modern anthropology and genetic science largely reject these historical racial classifications due to their pseudoscientific nature and lack of biological basis. However, in the context of historical classifications, Semitic people were consistently placed within the Caucasian category.