Sememe — Definition and Structure
April 10, 2025•240 words
Sememe — Definition and Structure
Sememe is the minimal unit of meaning in semantics, analogous to the morpheme in morphology. It represents the atomic semantic content conveyed by a linguistic unit.
A sememe is not tied to form (sound or writing), but to abstract meaning.
Properties of a Sememe
- Abstract: Not necessarily a word or morpheme.
- Semantic unit: Represents a single concept or feature.
- Can be componential: Combined to build complex meanings.
Example
The word:
“Man”
Can be broken into sememes:
- [+human]
- [+male]
- [+adult]
Each of these features is a sememe — basic semantic traits.
Types of Sememes (based on structural semantics)
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Denotational | Literal meaning | dog → a domestic canine animal |
| Connotational | Emotional or cultural association | dog → loyalty (in some cultures) |
| Figurative | Extended or metaphorical sense | dog → “He’s in the doghouse” (trouble) |
Comparison with Morpheme
| Aspect | Morpheme | Sememe |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of | Form + Meaning | Pure Meaning |
| Example | un-, -s, run | [+negative], [+plural], [+motion] |
| Domain | Morphology | Semantics |
Relation to Other "-eme" Units
Sememe is the semantic counterpart of:
- Phoneme (sound)
- Morpheme (form + meaning)
- Grapheme (written form)
- Tagmeme (syntactic function-class pair)