Editing Meme (section)

==Etymology==

The term ''meme'' is a shortening (modeled on ''gene'') of ''mimeme'', which comes from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc-Latn|mīmēma}} ({{lang|grc|μίμημα}}; {{IPA|el|míːmɛːma|pron}}), meaning 'imitated thing', itself from {{lang|grc-Latn|mimeisthai}} ({{lang|grc|μιμεῖσθαι}}, 'to imitate'), from {{lang|grc-Latn|mimos}} ({{Lang|grc|μῖμος}}, 'mime').<ref>{{cite book |chapter=meme |title=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |edition=4th |date=2000}}</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|meme}}</ref><ref>{{LSJ|mi/mhma|μίμημα}}, {{LSJ|mime/omai|μιμεῖσθαι}},{{LSJ|mi{{=}}mos|μῖμος|ref}}.</ref>

The word was coined by British evolutionary biologist [[Richard Dawkins]] in ''[[The Selfish Gene]]'' (1976) as a concept for discussion of [[evolution]]ary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena.<ref name="cream" /><ref>{{harvnb|Millikan|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=YphlBwpbJCUC&pg=PA16 16]}}. "Richard Dawkins invented the term 'memes' to stand for items that are reproduced by imitation rather than reproduced genetically."</ref> Examples of memes given in Dawkins' book include [[Melody|melodies]], [[catchphrase]]s, fashion, and the technology of building arches.<ref name="selfish">{{harvnb|Dawkins|1989|p=352}}</ref>