in linguistics, "a sign or symbol; the smallest unit of meaning," 1866, from Greek sēma "sign" (see semantic). Compare -eme, pheme.
Entries linking to seme
semantic adj.
"relating to significance or meaning," 1894, from French sémantique, applied by Michel Bréal (1883) to the psychology of language, from Greek sēmantikos "significant," from sēmainein "to show by sign, signify, point out, indicate by a sign," from sēma "sign, mark, token; omen, portent; constellation; grave" (Doric sama), from PIE root *dheie- "to see, look" (source also of Sanskrit dhyati "he meditates;" see zen).
The word has tended to become loose in application. Semanticize "invest (something) with meaning; analyze semantically" is by 1942.
-eme
in linguistics, noted as an active suffix and word-formation element from 1953; from French -ème "unit, sound," from phonème (see phoneme).