[ckilmer]

Where does it say that Shem is semetic? Or that all the people between shem and abraham are semetic?

[RoosterRedux]

Best I can tell, the etymology/origin of the word "Semitic" is the name Shem. Here's a note I have in some old files (unsourced):

The term "Semitic" was first coined in the late 18th century by German historian and linguist August Ludwig von Schlözer. It comes from the Greek "Sēmitikos," which means "pertaining to Shem" (Greek: Σημ).