English
lexeme
Lexeme comes from Latin lexis ‘a word’, from Ancient Greek λέγω ‘speak’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘speak’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλέξιςléxis‘word’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElexis‘a word’
- Englishearliest quotation 2003lexeme
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω‘speak’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEλέξιςléxis‘word’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElexis‘a word’
- Englishearliest quotation 2003lexeme
Earliest quotation: 2003, David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language: “A lexeme is a unit of lexical meaning, which…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’
election, collection, elite, logic, lesson, select, collect, eligible, apology, trilogy, sociology, elect, elegant, coil, analogy, terminology, negligence, legion, physiology, pathology, logos, negligent, monologue, diligent, prologue, negligible, pathologist, archaeologist, logistic, eulogy, leach, cull, etymology, entomology, homologous, epistemology, etiology, lignite, lignin, legation, 162 more
through Ancient Greek λέγω ‘speak’
technology, catalogue, astrology, epilogue, cosmology, gynecologist, dialectical, dialectic, dialogic, 18 more
through Ancient Greek λέξις ‘word’
lexicon, alexia, lexis, 3 more
through Latin lexis ‘a word’
Today it means
noun The abstract minimum unit of language or meaning that underlies such a set.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / lexeme