How Do You Spell LEXEME?

Pronunciation: [lˈɛksiːm] (IPA)

Lexeme is a linguistic term referring to a unit of meaning that is the basic building block of words. The word "lexeme" is spelled /ˈlɛksim/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The "le-" is pronounced like "leh", the "xe" like "ksay", and the "-me" like "mee". The pronunciation of this word emphasizes the importance of phonetics and sounds in understanding linguistics. The correct spelling of lexemes is crucial in academic and professional settings where precise and accurate communication is necessary.

LEXEME Meaning and Definition

1. A "lexeme" is a fundamental concept in linguistics, referring to the basic unit of lexical meaning within a language. It serves as the most elementary building block of a word, as it represents a distinct word form and encompasses all its inflected or derived variants. A lexeme can be defined as a set of related words that share a core meaning or have a common root.

   The concept of a lexeme allows us to analyze words in a language in a more abstract and general way, beyond their surface forms. It helps linguists categorize words that share the same stem or root, even though they may have different affixes or undergo morphological changes. For example, the lexeme "walk" encompasses its various forms such as "walks," "walking," and "walked." By considering all these forms as belonging to the same lexeme, we can better understand the underlying structure and rules of a language.

   Furthermore, a lexeme is not limited to a specific grammatical category or word class since it can be a noun, verb, adjective, or even an adverb. It captures the essential meaning conveyed by a word, disregarding its syntactic function or form. Thus, a lexeme allows us to study the lexical aspect of a language independently of how words are used in different contexts or grammatical roles. By analyzing lexemes, linguists can gain insights into language structure, word formation processes, and semantic relationships between word forms.

Common Misspellings for LEXEME

• kexeme
• pexeme
• oexeme
• lwxeme
• lsxeme
• ldxeme
• lrxeme
• l4xeme
• l3xeme
• lezeme
• leceme
• ledeme
• leseme
• lexwme
• lexsme
• lexdme
• lexrme
• lex4me
• lex3me

Etymology of LEXEME

The word "lexeme" comes from the combination of two Greek roots: "lexis" which means "word" or "speech", and "eme" which is a derivative of the Greek suffix "-ma", which indicates an abstract entity or result. Therefore, "lexeme" can be understood as "word entity" or "word form". This term was coined by the linguist Zellig Harris in the mid-20th century to describe the minimal unit of meaning in a language.

Similar spelling words for LEXEME

• legume,
• leeson,
• leukemia,
• lejeune.

Plural form of LEXEME is LEXEMES