-EME

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-EME. In LINGUISTICS, a noun-forming suffix used in naming certain theoretical units of language, such as the PHONEME, the minimal unit of phonology or speech sound, the sememe, a unit of meaning, the prosodeme, a unit of rhythm, and the tagmeme, a unit of structure. Of the many units created in recent decades, most are restricted to specific theories and works, and have little current use. See LEXEME, MORPHEME.