Sentence:  Likewise , and equally fascinating , <WSD>is</WSD> the news that such unlikely synonyms as `` pratakku '' , `` sweathruna '' , and the tongue-twister `` nnuolapertar-it-vuh-karti-biri-pitknoumen '' all originated in the same village in Bathar-on-Walli Province and are all used to express sentiments concerning British `` imperialism '' . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)