Here's why:
* Outdated and inaccurate: The term was used in the 19th century to group languages based on a supposed relationship to the ancient Egyptians. However, this classification was based on assumptions about shared physical features and cultural similarities, rather than sound linguistic evidence.
* Racist implications: The term "Hamitic" was often used to create a hierarchy of languages and cultures, placing African languages as inferior to European languages.
* Modern understanding: Linguists now understand that the languages previously grouped as "Hamitic" belong to different branches of the Afro-Asiatic language family, including:
* Berber: A language family spoken in North Africa.
* Egyptian: The extinct language of Ancient Egypt.
* Cushitic: A language family spoken in East Africa and parts of the Horn of Africa.
* Omotic: A language family spoken in Ethiopia and neighboring areas.
Instead of using the term "Hamitic," it's important to refer to these languages by their specific families: Berber, Egyptian, Cushitic, Omotic, etc. This reflects a more accurate and respectful understanding of linguistic diversity.