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ma·ter·nal

(mə-tûrnəl)

adj.

1. Relating to or characteristic of a mother or motherhood; motherly: maternal instinct.

2. Inherited from one's mother: a maternal trait.

3. Related through one's mother: my maternal uncle.

[Middle English, from Old French maternel, from Medieval Latin māternālis, from Latin māternus, from māter, mother; see māter- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ma·ternal·ism n.

ma·ternal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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