chereme

American  

[ker-eem] / ˈkɛr im /

noun

Linguistics.

1. any of a small set of elements, analogous to phonemes in speech, proposed as the basic structural units by which the signs of a sign language are represented, and including the handshape, hand movements, and locations of the hands in relation to the body as used in a particular sign language.

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Other Word Forms

• cheremic adjective

Etymology

Origin of chereme

From Greek cher-, a variant of cheir-, stem of cheír “hand” + -eme; chiro-; coined by U.S. linguist William C. Stokoe (1919–2000) in 1960