a. and sb. Also 4 -if, -yf. [a. OF. substantif (from 14th cent.), ad. late L. substantīvus, f. substantia SUBSTANCE: see -IVE. Cf. OF. sustentif, Pr. substantiu, It. so-, sustantivo, Sp. su(b)stantivo, Pg. substantivo.]
A. adj.
1. a. Of persons, nations, etc.: That stands of or by itself; independent, self-existent, self-sufficient.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron., CXCII. v. 7. Thus were there dukes fiue Of newe create, and none was substantiue.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 68. Umquhile agane serene and substantiue.
1626. Bacon, New Atl. (1650), 15. How sufficient and substantive this Land was, to maintaine it selfe without any ayd (at all) of the Forrainer.
1792. Burke, Pres. St. Aff., Wks. VII. 94. That Spain is not a substantive power: That she must lean on France, or on England.
1862. Rawlinson, Anc. Mon., Chaldæa, vii. I. 162. As a substantive deity, distinct from her husband.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., lxxxvi. A pity that so substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another.
1882. T. H. Dyer, Imit. Art, 322. The chapel … could not have been in the church in Cimabue’s boyhood, but it may have been a substantive building afterwards incorporated in it.
1888. R. L. Stevenson, in Scribner’s Mag., Jan., 126/2. He sees why I speak of the little people as of substantive inventors and performers.
b. Of immaterial subjects: Having an independent existence or status; not dependent upon, subsidiary to, or referable to something else.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. xiii. 33 b. This only name Jehouah whiche they call vnspeakable is a substantiue name to expresse hys essence.
1652. L. S., People’s Liberty, xxii. 57. An argument not so substantive but it will fall of it self.
1659. Fuller, Appeal Inj. Innoc. (1840), 474. This dispute is substantive enough to stand by itself, and too large to be adjected to this book.
1805. Ann. Rev., III. 198. His Holland is still independent. His Poland has a substantive existence.
1835. Newman, Par. Serm. (1837), I. xxi. 316. We haue no direct cognizance of what may be called the substantiue existence of the body.
1846. Grote, Greece, I. xxi. (1862), I. 555. Patroclus has no substantive position.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp., xlv. (1865), V. 309. A mere title … rather than a substantive office and function.
1881. Westcott & Hort, Grk. N. T., II. 36. Similar deductions are required in order to avoid being misled as to the substantive text of their exemplars.
1896. Purcell, Manning, I. 425. Archdeacon Manning, shortly before the close of the … meeting, proposed an Amendment, which finally took the form of a substantive Resolution.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 15 Jan., 3/1. It is a little remarkable … that the old judge has escaped for so long being made the subject of a substantive Life.
c. Of a dye: That attaches itself directly to the stuff, without the necessity of using a mordant. Also of pigments (see quot. 1902).
1794. Bancroft, Philos. Perm. Colours, 78. The colours of the first class I shall denominate substantive; using the term in the same sense in which it was employed by Bacon Lord Verulam, as denoting a thing solid by, or depending only upon itself.
1834–6. Barlow, in Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VIII. 533/1. The cloth is then immersed in a bath composed of a substantive colour.
1902. Encycl. Brit., XXXI. 771/1. It is not unusual to arrange them [sc. pigments] into two groups, substantive and adjective. Amongst the members of the former group such a pigment as vermilion, where each particle is homogeneous, may be cited as an example.
d. Med. (See quot. 1844.)
1826. J. A. Paris, Treat. Diet, 90. The consideration … of the Materia Alimentaria necessarily embraces, not only the substantive agents above stated, but those which, from their modus operandi, are entitled to the distinctive appellation of alimentary adjectives.
1844. Hoblyn, Dict. Terms Med. (ed. 2), 294. Substantive, a term applied by Dr. Paris to those medicinal agents which possess an inherent and independent activity.
e. Milit. Definitely appointed to the rank specified; also of an appointment or rank.
1883. H. B. Smith, Life Ld. Lawrence, I. vii. 177. It was not till towards the end of the following year that the ‘substantive’ post became vacant.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 14 Sept., 5/1. He … became ‘officiating’ Quartermaster-General … because, as Lieutenant-Colonel, he could not hold the substantive appointment.
1898. Geogr. Jrnl. (R. G. S.), Nov., 530. When substantive major, he was also granted the local rank of lieut.-colonel.
2. Gram. Denoting a substance; in noun substantive (late L. nomen substantivum): = B. 1.
Nouns substantive is the correct pl.; noun substantives has also been used, and occas. † nouns substantives.
1509–1843. [see NOUN 2].
1870. Jevons, Elem. Logic, iii. 17. No part of speech except a noun substantive.
1900. Speaker, 23 June, 374/1. Sir is a noun substantive, masculine.
fig. 1661. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 100. To make the best agreement he can for the first yeare; after which he hopes your sonne will be a noune substantive.
1705, 1741. [see NOUN 2].
b. Of the nature of, equivalent to or employed as a substantive; substantival.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., IV. vi. 446. All which difficulties will be most clearly stated by asserting it [sc. the infinitive] to be a Substantive Participle. For which this reason is to be given; because it hath all the signs both of a Noun Substantive and a Verb.
1824. L. Murray, Engl. Gram. (ed. 5), I. 105. Some writers are of opinion, that the pronouns should be classed into substantive and adjective pronouns. Ibid., 287. A substantive phrase.
1857. J. W. Gibbs, Philol. Studies, 167. Substantive clauses, expressing the subject, are placed at the commencement of the sentence.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., iv. 62. The substantive-adjective is common enough in English.
3. Gram. Expressing existence; in substantive verb, formerly verb substantive: the verb ‘to be.’
Late L. verbum substantivum, trans. Gr. ῥῆμα ὑπαρκτικόν.
1559. in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1709), I. II. App. ix. 434. The verbe substantyve est must be taken for significat.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 58. A verbe substantiue, or that which hath the force thereof gouerning two datiues.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 97. 2/2. This Expletive is usually attendant on the Verb Substantive.
1764. in Phil. Trans., LIV. 422. The verb substantive, in conformity to the Hebrew and Phœnician custom, has been apparently suppressed here.
1824. L. Murray, Engl. Gram. (ed. 5), I. 128. The substantive verb followed by a verb in the infinitive mood,… as, ‘Ferdinand is to command the army.’
1826. Whately, Logic, II. i. § 2 (1850), 38. The substantive-verb is the only verb recognised by Logic.
1849. Proc. Philol. Soc., IV. 92. The original meaning of the so-called substantive verb.
1871. Earle, Philol. Engl. Tongue, § 277.
4. Belonging to the real substance or essential nature of a thing; essential.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Note-Bks., II. 81. Growing out of the back of the monster, without possessing any original or substantive share in its nature.
1858. J. Martineau, Stud. Christ., 277. As a substantive part of their message.
1877. Owen, Wellesley’s Desp., p. xxi. The British Empire in India was already a great fact, and a substantive portion of the Empire at large.
b. Of law: Relating to or consisting of the rules of right administered by a court, as opposed to the forms of procedure (adjective law).
1786–9. Bentham, Princ. Intern. Law, Wks. 1843, II. 539. The laws of peace would … be the substantive laws of the international code: the laws of war would be the adjective laws of the same code.
1837. in W. Stokes, Anglo-Indian Codes (1887), I. Gen. Introd. p. xi. The Penal Code cannot be … explicit while the substantive civil law and the law of procedure are … confused.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 89. The substantive law remained; but it remained unaccompanied by any formidable sanction or by any efficient system of procedure.
1887. W. Stokes, Anglo-Indian Codes, I. Gen. Introd. p. ix. The first volume deals with Substantive Law, and contains the Penal Code, the Succession Act, the General Clauses Act, and the Acts relating respectively to Contract, Negotiable Instruments, Transfer of Property, Trusts, Easements and Specific Relief.
5. Existing as a substance or individual thing; having an actual or real existence; not imaginary or illusory; real.
1830. Arnold, Lett., in Stanley, Life (1844), I. vi. 285. That our addresses should be those of substantive and tangible persons, not of anonymous shadows.
1850. Grove, Corr. Phys. Forces (ed. 2), 25. Let us now divest the mind of the impression that heat is in itself anything substantive.
1867. Sat. Rev., 8 June, 735. The mythical Prester John, who really appears to have had a substantive original among the Mongols.
1869. J. Martineau, Ess., II. 351. The mind predicates nothing except about substantive objects of thought.
6. Having a firm or solid basis; not slight, weak or transitory.
1809. Syd. Smith, Serm., I. 42. As much is felt for character as for the more gross, and substantive advantages of life. Ibid., II. 421. This load of solid substantive guilt.
c. 1820. Hazlitt, Lit. Rem., I. 54 (Ogilvie, 1882). Strength and magnitude are qualities which impress the imagination in a powerful and substantive manner.
1847. Gladstone, in Morley Life (1903), I. III. v. 375. It is a painful decision to come to,… but the only substantive doubt it raises is about remaining in parliament.
1890. James, Psychol., I. 243. Let us call the resting-places the ‘substantive parts,’ and the places of flight the ‘transitive parts,’ of the stream of thought.
7. Having a value or effect because of numbers or quantity; of considerable amount or quantity.
1821. Southey, Lett. (1856), III. 229. A poem of substantive length (above 600 lines) divided into several sections.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. Ind., III. viii. III. 389. As he grew up to manhood, Munir Mohammed claimed a substantive share in the administration.
1850. Grote, Greece, II. lv. (1862), V. 13. By ensuring to every lesser state a substantive vote at the meetings of the confederacy.
1880. Sat. Rev., 3 April, 438. The work is far advanced at Newcastle, and a substantive beginning has been made at Wakefield.
8. Relating to or affecting the substance or tissue of an organ.
1875. trans. von Ziemssen’s Cycl. Med., V. 346. Vesicular emphysema … either occurs as an idiopathic disease, i. e. as substantive or substantial emphysema, or it is developed in connection with other affections of the pulmonary parenchyma.
1894. W. Bateson, Mat. Stud. Variation, Introd. 23. Variations in the actual constitution or substance of the parts themselves. To these Variations the name Substantive will be given.
B. sb.
1. (for noun substantive.) The part of speech that is used as the name of a person or thing; a noun.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., G. IV. 338. As adiectif and substantyf vnite asken, Acordaunce in kynde, in cas and in numbre.
1520. Whitinton, Vulg. (1527), 5 b. Whan ij substantyues or moo come togyder.
1575. Gascoigne, Posies, Making of Verse, T iv b. The Latinists do commonly set the adiectiue after the Substantiue: As for example Femina pulchra.
a. 1633. Austin, Medit. (1635), 74. If you will but give leave to turne a Participle into a Substantive.
1669. Croke’s Rep., II. (ed. 2), 345. Action for these words, Thou art a Bankrupt knave…. It was held by the Court that the words were scandalous, and Actionable, being two Substantives.
1748. Wesley, in Wks. (1872), XIV. 1. Nouns are either Substantives or Adjectives.
1843. Proc. Philol. Soc., I. 142. Berber substantives have a distinction of gender into masculine and feminine.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 95/2. Reducing the name of each plant to two words, the first substantive designating the genus.
fig. 1883. F. H. Bradley, Princ. Logic, I. i. § 4. 4. A fact taken as a symbol ceases so far to be fact…. It is no more a substantive, but becomes the adjective that holds of another.
a. 1892. Manning, in Purcell, Life (1896), I. 583. Mr. Gladstone is a substantive, and likes to be attended by adjectives.
† b. Substantives and adjectives: the name of a game. Obs.
1658. E. Phillips, Myst. Love, Gen. Lud. (1685), 4. A Description of the witty sport of Substantives and Adjectives.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 70. You would think he were playing at Substantives and Adjectives.
† 2. A self-subsisting or independent person or thing. Obs.
1613. J. Taylor (Water P.), Laugh & be Fat, Wks. (1630), II. 75/1. Now here’s a Substantiue stands by himselfe.
1641. Baker, Chron., John, 97. Now King John being a Substantive of himselfe.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. vii. 168. Countrey-houses must be Substantives, able to stand of themselves.
Hence † Substantive v. Obs. trans., to make into a substantive.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 264. The word δαιμόνιον … is … an Adjective Substantiv’d; as well as τὸ θεῖον is.
