mneme

Mneme is the personification of memory in Greek mythology. In early myth, she is listed as one of the original three Muses—the other two being Aoide (the song) and Melete (practice)—who preside over memory, song, and the discipline of recalling rules and stories. This triad is sometimes described as the first generation of Muses, predating the later nine Muses who are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Depending on source, Mneme's parentage is given variably as a daughter of Uranus and Gaia, or as a member of the older generation linked to Mnemosyne. In poetry and art she is invoked to aid memory and poetic composition.

Beyond myth, the term mneme has appeared in the history of memory research. German biologist and psychologist Richard Semon coined mneme in the early 20th century to denote a memory trace or imprint in an organism's nervous system, the theoretical basis for what later came to be called an engram. The concept influenced early theories of learning and memory, though the exact term mneme fell out of common scientific use as engram became standard. In modern science, mneme is largely of historical interest, encountered mainly in discussions of the history of memory theory.

Word origin: mneme derives from the Greek mnéme, memory; it forms the basis of related terms such as mnemonic and mnemonics. In classical studies mneme remains a figure of myth, while in the history of psychology it marks an early attempt to describe memory traces.