Phrase guide

substantive verb

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

In the Goidelic languages, a copular verb meaning “to be” that is used with predicates that are prepositional phrases, adverbs, or adjectives, but not with predicates that are noun phrases: Old Irish at·tá, Irish bí (present tá), Scottish Gaelic bi (present tha), Manx bee (present ta).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: létige — copular verb in the Goidelic languages
  • Irish: briathar substainteach — copular verb in the Goidelic languages
  • Polish: czasownik substantywny — copular verb in the Goidelic languages
  • Portuguese: verbo substantivo — copular verb in the Goidelic languages