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
