# lemma
## English
### Pronunciation

* (UK, General American) enPR: lĕm'ə, IPA: /ˈlɛmə/
* (pin–pen merger) IPA: /ˈlɪmə/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛmə
* Hyphenation: lem‧ma

### Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from the same root as λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

#### Noun

lemma (plural lemmas or lemmata)
* (mathematics) A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.
** 1988 August 30, Malcolm W. Browne, “Intellectual Duel: Brash Challenge, Swift Response”, in The New York Times‎:"We finally did it, but we found the proof very, very hard," [Dr. Conway] said. "I remember my wife and I spending one entire afternoon just working on some tiny little lemmas involved in the proof."
** (in phrases, by extension) A proposition originally used for such a purpose, but having later acquired a greater, independent, importance; a fundamental (often pithy) and widely-used result.
* (linguistics, lexicography) The canonical form of an inflected word; i.e., the form usually found as the headword in a dictionary, such as the nominative singular of a noun, the bare infinitive of a verb, etc.
    Synonym: lexeme (synonymous sense)
    Holonym: lexeme (holonymous sense)
** 2024, Geoffrey K. Pullum, The Truth About English Grammar, Polity Press, →ISBN, page 17:For the second sense, where "word" means "item that should have its own dictionary entry," lexicographers sometimes use the term "lemma," but that has other meanings too, so among linguists the term lexeme is now standard, and I'll use it. For the different forms or shapes that belong to a lexeme we can use the term word-form.
** For quotations using this term, see Citations:lemma.
* (psycholinguistics) The theoretical abstract conceptual form of a word, representing a specific meaning, before the creation of a specific phonological form as the sounds of a lexeme, which may find representation in a specific written form as a dictionary or lexicographic word.
    Coordinate term: lexeme

##### Synonyms

* (linguistics, lexicography: canonical form of a word): citation form

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “linguistics, lexicography: canonical form of a word”): non-lemma

##### Derived terms

* Bézout's lemma
* Euclid's lemma
* five lemma
* lemmatize
* Neyman-Pearson lemma
* pumping lemma
* Riemann-Lebesgue lemma
* Sperner's lemma
* Teichmüller-Tukey lemma
* Tukey's lemma
* Urysohn's lemma
* Yoneda lemma
* Zorn's lemma

##### Related terms

* dilemma
* lemmatic
* lemmatical
* lemmatically
* Margulis lemma
* pentalemma
* sublemma
* tetralemma
* trilemma

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### See also

* basic form
* canonical form
* citation form
* dictionary form
* headword
* infinitive

### Etymology 2

From the Ancient Greek λέμμα (lémma), from λέπω (lépō, “I peel”).

#### Noun

lemma (plural lemmas or lemmata)
* (botany) The outer shell of a fruit or similar body.
* (botany) One of the specialized bracts around the floret in grasses.

##### Derived terms

* cytolemma
* karyolemma
* myolemma
* neurilemma
* neurolemma
* oolemma
* plasmalemma
* sarcolemma

##### Translations
#### Further reading
##### Sister projects

* lemma (psycholinguistics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* lemma (morphology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* lemma (logic) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* lemma (mathematics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* headword on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* lemma (botany) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

### Anagrams

* melam, ammel

## Czech
### Etymology

Ultimately from Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛma]
* Hyphenation: le‧m‧ma

### Noun

lemma n
* (mathematics) lemma
* (linguistics) lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word)

#### Related terms

* dilema
* lemmatický
* lemmatizace
* lemmatizátor
* lemmatizovat
* trilema

### Further reading

* “lemma”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “lemma”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Latin lemma, from Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlɛ.maː/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: lem‧ma
* Rhymes: -ɛmaː

### Noun

lemma n (plural lemma's or lemmata, diminutive lemmaatje n)
* (mathematics) lemma (proved or accepted proposition used in a proof)
* (linguistics) lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word, dictionary form)

#### Derived terms

* hoofdlemma
* lemmatisch
* sublemma

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlemːɑ/, [ˈle̞mːɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -emːɑ
* Hyphenation: lem‧ma

### Noun

lemma
* (linguistics) lemma
* (mathematics) lemma

#### Declension

Possessive forms of lemma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
lemmani
lemmani
accusative
nom.
lemmani
lemmani
gen.
lemmani
genitive
lemmani
lemmojeni lemmaini $^{rare}$
partitive
lemmaani
lemmojani
inessive
lemmassani
lemmoissani
elative
lemmastani
lemmoistani
illative
lemmaani
lemmoihini
adessive
lemmallani
lemmoillani
ablative
lemmaltani
lemmoiltani
allative
lemmalleni
lemmoilleni
essive
lemmanani
lemmoinani
translative
lemmakseni
lemmoikseni
abessive
lemmattani
lemmoittani
instructive
comitative
—lemmoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
lemmasi
lemmasi
accusative
nom.
lemmasi
lemmasi
gen.
lemmasi
genitive
lemmasi
lemmojesi lemmaisi $^{rare}$
partitive
lemmaasi
lemmojasi
inessive
lemmassasi
lemmoissasi
elative
lemmastasi
lemmoistasi
illative
lemmaasi
lemmoihisi
adessive
lemmallasi
lemmoillasi
ablative
lemmaltasi
lemmoiltasi
allative
lemmallesi
lemmoillesi
essive
lemmanasi
lemmoinasi
translative
lemmaksesi
lemmoiksesi
abessive
lemmattasi
lemmoittasi
instructive
comitative
—lemmoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
lemmamme
lemmamme
accusative
nom.
lemmamme
lemmamme
gen.
lemmamme
genitive
lemmamme
lemmojemme lemmaimme $^{rare}$
partitive
lemmaamme
lemmojamme
inessive
lemmassamme
lemmoissamme
elative
lemmastamme
lemmoistamme
illative
lemmaamme
lemmoihimme
adessive
lemmallamme
lemmoillamme
ablative
lemmaltamme
lemmoiltamme
allative
lemmallemme
lemmoillemme
essive
lemmanamme
lemmoinamme
translative
lemmaksemme
lemmoiksemme
abessive
lemmattamme
lemmoittamme
instructive
comitative
—lemmoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
lemmanne
lemmanne
accusative
nom.
lemmanne
lemmanne
gen.
lemmanne
genitive
lemmanne
lemmojenne lemmainne $^{rare}$
partitive
lemmaanne
lemmojanne
inessive
lemmassanne
lemmoissanne
elative
lemmastanne
lemmoistanne
illative
lemmaanne
lemmoihinne
adessive
lemmallanne
lemmoillanne
ablative
lemmaltanne
lemmoiltanne
allative
lemmallenne
lemmoillenne
essive
lemmananne
lemmoinanne
translative
lemmaksenne
lemmoiksenne
abessive
lemmattanne
lemmoittanne
instructive
comitative
—lemmoinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
lemmansa
lemmansa
accusative
nom.
lemmansa
lemmansa
gen.
lemmansa
genitive
lemmansa
lemmojensa lemmainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
lemmaansa
lemmojaan lemmojansa
inessive
lemmassaan lemmassansa
lemmoissaan lemmoissansa
elative
lemmastaan lemmastansa
lemmoistaan lemmoistansa
illative
lemmaansa
lemmoihinsa
adessive
lemmallaan lemmallansa
lemmoillaan lemmoillansa
ablative
lemmaltaan lemmaltansa
lemmoiltaan lemmoiltansa
allative
lemmalleen lemmallensa
lemmoilleen lemmoillensa
essive
lemmanaan lemmanansa
lemmoinaan lemmoinansa
translative
lemmakseen lemmaksensa
lemmoikseen lemmoiksensa
abessive
lemmattaan lemmattansa
lemmoittaan lemmoittansa
instructive
comitative
—lemmoineen lemmoinensa :

#### Synonyms

* (linguistics): perusmuoto
* (math): apulause

## Hungarian
### Etymology

From English lemma and German Lemma, from Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛmːɒ]
* Hyphenation: lem‧ma
* Rhymes: -mɒ

### Noun

lemma (plural lemmák)
* (mathematics, linguistics, lexicography) lemma

#### Declension
### References

* ↑ Tótfalusi, István. Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára (’A Storehouse of Foreign Words: an explanatory and etymological dictionary of foreign words’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2005. →ISBN

## Italian
### Etymology

From Latin lemma, from Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlɛm.ma/
* Rhymes: -ɛmma
* Hyphenation: lèm‧ma

### Noun

lemma m (plural lemmi)
* (mathematics, linguistics, lexicography) lemma
** For quotations using this term, see Citations:lemma.
* entry (in a dictionary)

#### Related terms

* lemmatico

### Further reading

* Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907) “lemma”, in Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana (in Italian), Rome: Albrighi & Segati
* “lemma” in Il Sabatini Coletti: Dizionario della Lingua Italiana (© 2011)
* lemma$^1$ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

### Anagrams

* melma

## Latin
### Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈleːm.ma/, [ˈɫ̪eːmːä]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈlem.ma/, [ˈlɛmːä]

#### Noun

lēmma n (genitive lēmmatis); third declension
* (literally) A subject for consideration or explanation, a theme, matter, subject, contents.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Pliny the Younger to this entry?)
* (transferred senses):
** the title of an epigram (because it indicates the subject)
** the epigram itself
** story, tale
** the assumption or lemma of a syllogism
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Aulus Gellius to this entry?)

##### Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

##### Derived terms

* nūtrīcis lēmmata

##### Descendants

* Catalan: lema
* Dutch: lemma
* English: lemma
* French: lemme
* German: Lemma
* Italian: lemma
* Spanish: lema

#### References

* “lemma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* lemma in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 898/2.
* “lemma” on page 1,015/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

### Etymology 2

Probably a scribal error: ni → m.

#### Noun

lemma f (genitive lemmae); first declension
* medieval spelling of lemnia [8th C.]

##### Declension

First-declension noun.

#### References

* “lemma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* "lemma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

## Polish
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlɛm.ma/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛmma
* Syllabification: lem‧ma

### Noun

lemma f
* (linguistics, lexicography) lemma

#### Declension
### Further reading

* lemma in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, assumption”), from λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

### Noun

lemma n
* lemma (the canonical form of an inflected word, a headword in a dictionary)
* (mathematics) lemma (a proposition)

#### Synonyms

* uppslagsord

#### Related terms

* lemmabestånd
* lemmalakun
* lemmalista
* lemmaordbok
* lemmaselektion
* lemmatecken
* lemmatisera
* lemmatiserad
* lemmatisering
* lemmatisk

### References

* ↑ Nordisk leksikografisk ordbok (1997) →ISBN
* lemma in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)