As the Canaanite families multiplied and expanded across the ancient Middle East, they established cities and communities. Often, the names of these families reflected their specific geographic locations or their unique cultural traits. For instance, the identity of the Hivite family is deeply tied to their agricultural mastery. According to ancient tradition, they possessed a unique method for evaluating land: they would taste the soil much like a snake, an animal known in Aramaic as a chivya. Through this tasting process, they could determine the exact qualities of the earth and precisely match different regions to the ideal crops, knowing exactly where to plant olives, vines, or figs [תורה תמימה].
Historically, this family is sometimes identified with the Avite people, as the first letters of their names are interchangeable in the ancient language. Their history is marked by division; while some lived in open, unwalled towns and were eventually wiped out by the Philistines, others managed to survive by dwelling in fortified cities near the Lebanon mountains [ביאור יש״ר]. They appear frequently throughout biblical history, such as in the story of Shechem the son of Hamor. However, their exact name can be fluid; ancient translations occasionally swap them with the Hittites or the Horites [קאסוטו], and early Midrashic texts refer to them as the Chaldin [אם למקרא].
Other Canaanite families were named directly after their regional settlements. The Arkites, for example, were the inhabitants of Arqa, a city situated close to Mount Lebanon [שד״ל, קאסוטו, אם למקרא]. Similarly, the Sinites were identified with the residents of Sin or Sina. This settlement was located in the same region near Arqa, though it eventually collapsed and became a ruined city [שד״ל, קאסוטו, נתינה לגר].
The exact historical identification of the Sinites, however, presents a fascinating puzzle. The ancient translation of Onkelos refers to them as the Antusai, a choice that left many scholars wondering why the translator altered this specific family name while leaving others unchanged [ברכת אשר]. A closer look at Midrashic sources suggests that the original, accurate reading may have actually been Artusai, pointing to the ancient city of Orthosia near Lebanon [נתינה לגר, אם למקרא]. Meanwhile, an entirely different tradition found in the Jerusalem translation identifies the Sinites as the early inhabitants of the island of Cyprus [נתינה לגר].