该书是开罗大学语言学专业的研究生教材，主要从历史视角对阿卡德语、腓尼基语、阿拉姆语、南阿拉伯语、埃塞俄比亚语等诸闪语的历史变迁及演化轨迹进行比较语言学研究，涉及语言的本质、当代对古文献的研究取舍、阿拉伯语的传播、双语现象、语用变化等问题。
该书通过各闪语与阿拉伯语之间的比较，得出“阿拉伯语是原始闪语的最直接延续”这一推论，是国内首部全面系统介绍闪语史、阿拉伯语史的语言学著作，对普及闪语、特别是阿拉伯语语言学知识将会有所裨益，有助于国内对闪语和阿拉伯语语言学研究。

This book offers a thorough, authoritative account of the branches of Semitic. These include some of the world's oldest attested languages, among them Akkadian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic, and Ethiopic, as well as various modern languages. Gideon Goldenberg describes their history, geographical distribution, writing systems, and genetic classification. He examines their main features and distinctive characteristics, including their phonology, morphemes, derivational morphology, verbal systems, syntactic relationships, and their typological significance. He also discusses the pioneering work and achievements of medieval Arabic and Hebrew scholars in theoretical and descriptive aspects of grammar, lexicography, and philology. Professor Goldenberg's balanced, undogmatic account presents the fruits of a lifetime of original research: it will be widely welcomed by scholars and advanced students of the Semitic languages and linguistic typology.