Word origin
[1935–40;
glosseme +
-atics, on the model of Gk formations such as
pho᷇nēma speech (s.
phōnēmat-), adj. deriv.
phōnēmatikós (cf.
phoneme), and the names of disciplines formed from such adjs., as
mathematics]This word is first recorded in the period 1935–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Rhodesian ridgeback, aeroembolism, blitz, fluorocarbon, hard core