What is West Semitic languages?
{{Infobox language family |name = West Semitic |region = [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]], [[Horn of Africa]] |familycolor = Afroasiatic |fam2 = [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] |child1 = [[Central Semitic languages|Central Semitic]] |child2 = [[South Semitic languages|South Semitic]] |glotto = west2786 |glottorefname= West Semitic }} The '''West Semitic''' languages are a large branch of [[Semitic languages]]. It is the only branch of Semitic languages with languages still spoken. The other branch of Semitic languages was [[East Semitic languages|East Semitic]]. It is [[extinct language|extinct]]. The two branches of West Semitic languages are [[Central Semitic languages|Central]] and [[Southern Semitic languages|Southern]]. Some [[linguistics|linguists]] disagree with the branches. They think that Central and Southern Semitic languages are not related and are actually separate branches of Semitic languages.<ref name=Handbook>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SMzgBLT87MkC&pg=PA425 The Semitic Languages: An International Handbook, Chapter V], page 425</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/2603460|title= The subgrouping of the Semitic languages|journal=Language and Linguistics Compass|publisher= Blackwell Publishing Ltd|volume=2|issue=1|date=2008|pages=61–84|doi=10.1111/j.1749-818x.2007.00044.x|author-link=Aaron D. Rubin|author=Aaron D. Rubin|quote=P. Haupt (1878) first recognized that the qatala past tense found in West Semitic was an innovation, and that the Akkadian prefixed past tense must be archaic. It was F. Hommel, however, who recognized the implications of this for the subgrouping of Semitic; cf. Hommel(1883: 63, 442; 1892: 92–97; 1926: 75–82).}}</ref><ref>[[Fritz Hommel]], [https://archive.org/details/diesemitischenvo00homm Die semitischen Volker und Sprachen als erster Versuch einer Encyclopadie der semitischen Sprach- und Alterthums-Wissenschaft], (1883)</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Semitic languages]]