Canaanite

[ key-nuh-nahyt ]

noun

1. a member of a Semitic people that inhabited parts of ancient Palestine and were conquered by the Israelites and largely absorbed by them.
2. a group of Semitic languages, including Hebrew and Phoenician, spoken chiefly in ancient Palestine and Syria.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Canaan, the Canaanites, or the Canaanite group of languages.

Canaanite

/ ˈkeɪnəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a member of an ancient Semitic people who occupied the land of Canaan before the Israelite conquest
2. the extinct language of this people, belonging to the Canaanitic branch of the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family
3. (in later books of the Old Testament) a merchant or trader (Job 40:30; Proverbs 31:24)

Other Words From

• Ca·naan·it·ish [key, -n, uh, -nahy-tish], Ca·naan·it·ic [key-n, uh, -, nit, -ik], adjective
• pre-Canaan·ite noun adjective
• pre-Ca·naan·itic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Canaanite¹

1350–1400; Middle English ≪ Greek Kananī́tēs; Canaan, -ite ¹

Example Sentences

They renounced the civilized life of the nation at that time and reverted to the pre-Canaanite life.

From Project Gutenberg

Zimrida of Lachish must be distinguished from another Canaanite of the same name who was governor of Sidon.

From Project Gutenberg