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graph·eme

(grăfēm′)

1. A letter of an alphabet.

2. All of the letters and letter combinations that represent a phoneme, as f, ph, and gh for the phoneme /f/.

[GRAPH² + -EME.]

gra·phemic (gră-fēmĭk) adj.

gra·phemi·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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