Etymograph

English

substantial

Substantial comes from Latin substantiālis.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubstantiālis1
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400substanciel1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500substancial1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1927substantial1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English substantial
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1927, Ernest Bramah pseudonym; Ernest Brammah : “The blind man laughed and a substantial coin found…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsubstantiālisWiktionary, English substantial
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400substancielWiktionary, English substantial
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500substancialWiktionary, English substantial
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1927substantialWiktionary, English substantial. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1927, Ernest Bramah pseudonym; Ernest Brammah : “The blind man laughed and a substantial coin found…”

Today it means

adj Having a substance; actually existing.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “substantial”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin substantiālis / substantial