English Explanatory Dictionary

maternal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly.
Related through the mother, or her side of the family.
Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy.

noun

A mother.
A person related through the mother, or her side of the family; a maternal relative.

Pronunciation

/məˈtɜːnəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-maternal.wav mə-tûr'nəl /məˈtɝnəl/

Word forms

maternal more maternal most maternal maternall maternals

Etymology

PIE word *méh₂tēr The adjective is derived from Late Middle English maternal, maternall, from Middle French maternel (“maternal”) (modern French maternel (“maternal; native”)), or from its etymon Late Latin māternālis (“maternal”), from Latin māternus (“maternal; related to the mother or her side of the family”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns). Māternus is derived from māter (“mother”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr (“mother”)) + -rnus (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is cognate with Italian maternale, materno, Portuguese maternal, materno, Spanish maternal, materno. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Antonyms

Related words

maternity

Derived words

allomaternal antimaternal bimaternal direct maternal death feto-maternal fetomaternal foetomaternal grandmaternal indirect maternal death maternal aunt maternal cousin maternal custody maternal death maternal effect maternal grandchild maternal grandfather maternal grandmother maternal half aunt maternal half-uncle maternal impression maternalisation maternalism maternalist maternalistic maternalization maternalize maternally maternalness maternal orphan maternal uncle maternal wall nonmaternal prematernal transmaternal ultramaternal unmaternal

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