ABSTRACT
This word, which derives from Latin copula meaning ‘bond’, refers to verbs such as BE which link a subject and a complement:
He is a doctor. He is in a hurry.
See: BE, complement, verb phrase.
Our control of language determines the words we use (active vocabulary) and the words we understand but may rarely use (passive vocabulary). Most speakers have a unique inventory of words, acquired from the network of contacts (spoken and written) in which they are involved, but most speakers of a language also share a set of words for basic body parts and functions, common foods and activities. This shared vocabulary is known as the core vocabulary.
