[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).

[ckilmer]

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).

////////
Greeks were outsider’s to this tradition.

The question is as to whether the old hebrews themselves considered Shem or Abram’s father to be semetic.