SEMITIC. In the Semitic family Nve have the Pluenician alphabet, used by the Carthaginians along the northern coast. The Punic and later Neo-Punic charaeters were modifications of the Phoenician, and are distinguished by special characteristics. The Arabic character is now used wherever Islam has become the prevailing religion: but it is mainly employed for writing the Arabic language, which the general medium of religion, commerce, and social inter course. The use of the Arabic character for African languages is not very frequent (e.g., among the Berbers. the Suahelis). The Malay an immigrants, however, and the Mohammedan Kaffirs use it as far south as Cape Colony; and the Mohammedans of Shoa as well as the inhabitants — also Mohammedans—of Harrar sometimes write their respective languages, Amharic and the closely related Harari, in Arabic letters. On the other hand, in and around Abys sinia a number of languages are regularly writ ten in the Amharic modification, or rather ampli fication, of the old Ethiopic or Geez alphabet.
Unlike most of the other Semitic languages, Ethiopic and its modern descendants are written from left to right. The vowels are expressed graphically by modifications of or slight addi tions to the consonants, thus forming a kind of syllabary. R e can trace this peculiar system of writing as far back as the fourth century A.D., through sonic ancient monuments in the old capital of Aximi (consult D. B. E p y r a ph isrh c Den I; miller ait.c abessynien, 1894). The development of those peculiarities took place on African soil, though the consonantal charac ters are derived from tho old South Arabian writ ing (wrongly called Himyaritie). See ETHIOPIC