mythologem

English

Alternative forms

• mythologeme

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μυθολογέω (muthologéō, “to tell mythical tales”), from μυθολόγος (muthológos, “myth-teller”), from μῦθος (mûthos, “mythical narrative”) + -λόγος (-lógos). The -em could be interpreted as an analogue of -eme.

Noun

mythologem (plural mythologems)

1. A basic core element, motif or theme of a myth. [from 19th c.]
   • 1963, Richard and Clara Winston, translating Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Random House 1974, p. 342:

     [W]e have long been in possession of mythologems which express the dynamics of certain subliminal processes, though these processes were only given names in very recent times.

Translations

basic core element, motif or theme of a myth

• Armenian: առասպելույթ (hy) (aṙaspeluytʻ)
• Russian: мифологема (ru) (mifologema)