An important development in the history of Afroasiatic scholarship – and the history of African linguistics – was the creation of the "Hamitic theory" or "Hamitic hypothesis" by Lepsius, fellow Egyptologist Christian Bunsen, and linguist Christian Bleek.
ɐn ɪmpˈoːɹtənt dɪvˈɛləpmənt ɪnðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv ˌæfɹoʊˌeɪsɪˈæɾɪk skˈɑːlɚʃˌɪp ænd ðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv ˈæfɹɪkən lɪŋɡwˈɪstɪks wʌzðə kɹiːˈeɪʃən ʌvðə "hæmˈɪɾɪk θˈiəɹi" ɔːɹ "hæmˈɪɾɪk haɪpˈɑːθəsˌɪs" baɪ lˈɛpsɪəs, fˈɛloʊ ˌiːdʒɪptˈɑːlədʒˌɪst kɹˈɪstʃən bˈʌnsən, ænd lˈɪŋɡwɪst kɹˈɪstʃən blˈiːk.