Lexeme (Noun)
Meaning
A minimal unit (as a word or stem) in the lexicon of a language; `go' and `went' and `gone' and `going' are all members of the English lexeme `go'.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The English lexeme "run" includes the words "run", "runs", "running", and "ran".
- The concept of a lexeme is useful in linguistic analysis because it allows researchers to group related words together.
- In many languages, a single lexeme can have multiple grammatical forms, such as the English lexeme "teach", which includes the words "teach", "taught", "teaching", and "teacher".
- The lexeme "be" is one of the most complex in the English language, with multiple forms including "am", "is", "are", "was", "were", "been", and "being".
- The relationship between a lexeme and its various forms is an important area of study in linguistics, particularly in the field of morphology.