‖ superstratum
(s(j)uːpəˈstreɪtəm, -ˈstrɑːtəm)
Pl. -strata.
[mod.L., neut. sing. of pa. pple. of L. supersternĕre to spread over, f. super- super- 2 + sternĕre to lay down, strew.]
1. A stratum or layer deposited over or upon something; an overlying or superficial stratum.
| 1806 Amer. State Papers, Ind. Affairs (1832) I. 737 The superstratum is of a blackish brown color, upon a yellow basis. 1823 Byron Juan ix. xxxvii, First out of, and then back again to chaos, The superstratum which will overlay us. 1840 Lyell Princ. Geol. ii. vii. (ed. 6) II. 79 The superstrata were precipitated into hollows prepared for them. |
2. a. Linguistics. A language responsible for linguistic change (esp. in vocabulary) in another upon which it is imposed and over which it is temporarily dominant. Cf. substratum 5 a.
| [1932 E. Tappolet in Archiv für das Studium der neueren Sprachen CXI. 234 Von ähnlichen Erwägungen geleitet, sprach von Wartburg (Leipzig) über die Wirkung des Superstratums.] 1953 J. B. Trend Lang. & Hist. Spain xii. 167 Spanish-speaking America offers an exceptionally favourable field for examining the linguistic concepts of substratum and superstratum. 1976 W. F. H. Nicolaisen Scottish Place-Names vi. 84 The place-names created by a certain language form an adstratum to English names in one place, a superstratum in another, and a substratum in most places. |
b. attrib. and Comb., as superstratum influence, superstratum language.
| 1957 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. 1956 xxvi. 100 A substratum influence is one derived from a dominated language, a superstratum from a dominant language. 1960 Amer. Speech XXXV. 234 Substratum languages can affect all features of grammar, whereas superstratum languages tend to affect vocabulary only. 1978 Canad. Jrnl. Ling. 1977 XXII. 206 After surveying the distribution, function, and status of each Romance language..it discusses the thorny problem of the influence exerted by the so-called substratum and superstratum languages. |