maternal
Definitions
Relating to or characteristic of a mother; motherly
母亲的，母性的
Related through the mother's side of the family
母系的，娘家一边的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmater (mother) + -al = 'of the mother.' This word stays on the original 'mother' branch and never took the materia/material detour into 'substance.' Two everyday senses: emotional (maternal instinct, maternal love) and genealogical (maternal grandmother = the mother's mother).
Root mater still carries 6 more wordsExample Sentences
- 1.
She felt a strong maternal urge to protect the child.
- 2.
The hospital offers excellent maternal and infant care.
- 3.
My maternal grandfather was born in a small village.
Easily Confused
maternal vs paternal — maternal is the mother's side (maternal grandmother = mother's mother); paternal is the father's side. Learn them as a pair. Both can also mean 'protective/caring in a parental way': maternal warmth, paternal authority.