The elements of the name were derived from the names of two sons of Noah as attested in the Book of Genesis's Table of Nations passage: "Semitic" from the first-born Shem, and "Hamitic" from the second-born Ham ().
ðɪ ˈɛlɪmənts ʌvðə nˈeɪm wɜː dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌmðə nˈeɪmz ʌv tˈuː sˈʌnz ʌv nˈoʊʌ æz ɐtˈɛstᵻd ɪnðə bˈʊk ʌv dʒˈɛnᵻsˌɪsᵻz tˈeɪbəl ʌv nˈeɪʃənz pˈæsɪdʒ: "sɛmˈɪɾɪk" fɹʌmðə fˈɜːstbˈɔːɹn ʃˈɛm, ænd "hæmˈɪɾɪk" fɹʌmðə sˈɛkəndbˈɔːɹn hˈæm.