adstratum
/ˈadstrɑːtəm
/ /adˈstrɑːtəm/noun (plural adstrata) Linguistics
A language or group of elements within it that is responsible for changes in a neighbouring language.Romanian has many adstrata of linguistical accretions, but no one so far knows just how deep is the substratum....
- Such word-pairs suggest an adstratum of borrowings.
- I conclude with the remark that traceable East Baltic influence on West Baltic involves not diglossia, but merely adstrata and substrata.
Derivatives
adstrate
- Even in those languages that are not contact-based special contact varieties can be observed through the influence of an adstrate or a substrate language.
- This provides a rationale for a hypothesis respecting adstrate development in the area.
- A possible influence of the substrate and adstrate Finno-Ugric languages formerly spoken in the area has been suggested by Western scholars, but in Russian dialectology it seems to be excluded a priori, except in a few studies.
Origin
1930s: modern Latin, from Latin ad 'to' + stratum 'something laid down'.