copula

Definition

A word, usually a verb, used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate (usually a subject complement or an adverbial), that unites or associates the subject with the predicate.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cōpula (“connection, linking of words”), from co- (“together”) + apere (“fasten”). Doublet of couple.

Example Sentences

• "I begin by arguing in section 2 that there are in fact at least two Celtic copulas, a grammatical copula that simply spells out tense and agreement, and a substantive copula formed on a lexically listed verbal stem."
• "The theory of conjunctively tensed copulae will be developed and stated with more precision in the following section."
• "This paper explores the position of the copula in the development of the verb system in second language acquisition of Italian."

Related Words