Definition of substratum
plural substrata
play
\ˈsəb-ˌstrā-tə, -ˌstra-; ˌsəb-ˈstrā-, -ˈstra-\
: an underlying support : foundation: such as
a
: substance that is a permanent subject of qualities or phenomena
b
: the material of which something is made and from which it derives its special qualities
c
: a layer beneath the surface soil;
specifically
: subsoil
d
: substrate 2
e
linguistics
: a component of a language (such as a part of its phonology, syntax, or lexicon) that remains from absorption of a pre-existing language in the region where the language is currently spoken
