semanteme

noun

se·​man·​teme

sə̇ˈmanˌtēm

plural -s

: a word (as the noun dog, the verb run, the adjective new, the concrete adverb fast) or a base (as Latin can- in canis "dog", curr- in currere "to run", nov- in novus "new") that expresses a definite image or idea

—distinguished from morpheme

Word History

Etymology

French sémantème, from sémant- (from sémantique semantic, semantics) + -ème -eme

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

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