SUBSTRATUM - Definition & Meaning for Kids

Simple definitions and word synonyms for kids.

Part of speech: Noun

an indigenous language that contributes features to the language of an invading people who impose their language on the indigenous population

Example: the Celtic languages of Britain are a substrate for English

Part of speech: Noun

any stratum or layer lying underneath another

Part of speech: Noun

a surface on which an organism grows or is attached

Example: the gardener talked about the proper substrate for acid-loving plants

The word "substratum" comes from Latin substrātus, which was borrowed from New Latin substratum.

Legal and medical professions still use Latin phrases because of its precision and historical authority.