Etymology of the English word maternal
the English word
maternalderived from the Old French word
maternelderived from the Medieval Latin word
maternalisderived from the Latin word
maternus (maternal, motherly, of a mother)
derived from the Late Latin word
mater (mother; mother, foster mother; lady)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*māter- (mother)
Date
The earliest known usage of maternal in English dates from the 15th century.
Derivations in English
maternalizeUsage
Word found in Modern English
