What’s in a Name?

The following terms (that are often conflated) are closely-related, but each has a different meaning:

*William Shakespeare who wrote the famous line “What’s in a name?” in his play Romeo and Juliet*

Afroasiatic: This extinct language gave rise to dozens of languages, including Hebrew and Arabic. The name reflects the regions where its descendants are spoken today.
Canaanite: In the context of language, Canaanite is a language name. In the context of people, Canaanite refers to the diverse group of ancient peoples inhabiting Canaan.
Hebrew: In the context of language, Hebrew is a language name. In the context of people, Hebrew refers to an Israelite.
Jew: A Jew is a person who is either genealogically linked to the Israelites or to one who has adopted the religion of Judaism. The definition of Jew varies among religious groups.
Jewish: Jewish is the adjective form that relates to the noun Jew.
Israeli: In the context of people, an Israeli is a citizen of the State of Israel. Israeli is also used to describe things related to Israel.
Israelite: An Israelite was a Canaanite whose culture, customs, religion, language, or residence made them a member of this group. Israelites were also called Hebrews.
Semitic: In the pseudoscience of racial taxonomy, discredited scholars coined abhorrent terms like “Caucasian,” “Mongoloid,” and “Semitic” to classify ethnic groups, with Semitic describing the descendants of the Torah’s Abraham. Though inaccurate for modern ethnic groups, Semitic still refers to the language family that includes Hebrew, Arabic, and Maltese.
- Antisemitic: In written protest against the racist theories of his time, Jewish scholar and historian Moritz Steinschneider coined the term antisemitic. Today, it refers specifically to anti-Jewish prejudice.
- Jonah Cohen, PhD offers tips for responding effectively to antisemitic remarks, including asking questions like:
  - What do you mean by that?
  - What are your reasons for thinking that’s true?
  - How does what you say square with this other important fact?
  - At what cost? Wouldn’t your proposal result in bad outcomes, such as …?
  - Compared to what?
  - Wouldn’t you agree that such-and-such is true? Then how come you say so-and-so is also true?
Zion: Originally a specific hill in Jerusalem, Zion symbolizes the city as a whole and the Jewish homeland.
Zionism: Zionism is a nationalist movement advocating for the establishment and support of a Jewish state in the historic land of Israel, emphasizing Jewish self-determination and cultural revival.
Zionist: A supporter of the Zionist movement, which advocates for the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish state in Israel.

Hebrew or Israelite society evolved from a tribal confederation in Canaan into a period of lawful rule by judges, followed by a theocratic state, and then a united monarchy before splitting into two distinct kingdoms:

Canaan: This ancient name refers to the region in the Levant, corresponding to Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, and parts of Syria and Jordan.
Israel: Located in the north of Canaan, the Kingdom of Israel was brutally brutally defeated by the Assyrian Empire, resulting in the scattering of its survivors. While the fate of many Israelite descendants became shrouded in history, recent research has shed light on some of their lineages. Israel is also the name of the modern Jewish state.
Judah: Situated in the center and south of Canaan, the Kingdom of Judah was ultimately crushed by the Roman Empire. We are more familiar with the histories of the Jewish people because their narratives have been preserved through texts and cultural continuity.