maternal

== English == === Etymology === 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. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /məˈtɜːnəl/ (General American) enPR: mə-tûr'nəl, IPA(key): /məˈtɝnəl/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl Hyphenation: ma‧tern‧al === Adjective === maternal (comparative more maternal, superlative most maternal) Of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly. Antonyms: fatherly, paternal Related through the mother, or her side of the family. Antonym: paternal (anatomy, medicine) Derived from the mother as opposed to the foetus during pregnancy. Antonyms: fetal, foetal ==== Alternative forms ==== maternall (obsolete) ==== Coordinate terms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== maternity ==== Translations ==== === Noun === maternal (plural maternals) (rare) (dated, informal) A mother. A person related through the mother, or her side of the family; a maternal relative. Coordinate term: paternal === References === === Further reading === mother on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === Alterman == Catalan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [mə.tərˈnal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [ma.teɾˈnal] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [ma.terˈnal] === Adjective === maternal m or f (masculine and feminine plural maternals) synonym of matern ==== Related terms ==== paternal ==== Further reading ==== “maternal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Indonesian == === Etymology === From English maternal, from Late Middle English maternal, maternall, from Middle French maternel (“maternal”) (modern French maternel (“maternal; native”)), or from its etymon Late Latin māternālis (“maternal”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [matərˈnal] Hyphenation: ma‧ter‧nal === Adjective === matêrnal (comparative lebih maternal, superlative paling maternal) maternal === Further reading === “maternal”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: ma‧ter‧nal === Adjective === maternal m or f (plural maternais) maternal (of or relating to mothers) Synonym: materno === Noun === maternal m (plural maternais) a school for young children === Further reading === “maternal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “maternal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French maternel. By surface analysis, matern +‎ -al. === Adjective === maternal m or n (feminine singular maternală, masculine plural maternali, feminine/neuter plural maternale) maternal ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /mateɾˈnal/ [ma.t̪eɾˈnal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: ma‧ter‧nal === Adjective === maternal m or f (masculine and feminine plural maternales) maternal Synonym: materno ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Further reading ==== “maternal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025