mother: [OE] The ancestral Indo-European word for ‘mother’ was *māter-, which has descendants in virtually all the modern European languages. It was probably based on the syllable ma, suggested by the burbling of a suckling baby, which also lies behind English mama, mamma (and indeed mammal). Amongst its immediate descendants were Latin māter (source of English madrigal, material, maternal, matrimony, matrix, matron, and matter) and Greek métēr (from which English gets metropolis).
In prehistoric Germanic it evolved to *mōthar-, which has differentiated to German mutter, Dutch moeder, Swedish and Danish moder, and English mother. => madrigal, mamma, mammal, material, maternal, matrimony, matrix, matron, matter, metropolis
mother (n.1)
Old English modor "female parent," from Proto-Germanic *mothær (cognates: Old Saxon modar, Old Frisian moder, Old Norse moðir, Danish moder, Dutch moeder, Old High German muoter, German Mutter), from PIE *mater- "mother" (cognates: Latin mater, Old Irish mathir, Lithuanian mote, Sanskrit matar-, Greek meter, Old Church Slavonic mati), "[b]ased ultimately on the baby-talk form *mā- (2); with the kinship term suffix *-ter-" [Watkins]. Spelling with -th- dates from early 16c., though that pronunciation is probably older (see father (n.)).
Mother nature first attested c. 1600; mother earth is from 1580s. Mother tongue "one's native language" first attested late 14c. Mother of all ________ 1991, is Gulf War slang, from Saddam Hussein's use in reference to the coming battle; it is an Arabic idiom (as well as an English one), for instance Ayesha, second wife of Muhammad, is known as Mother of Believers. Mother Carey's chickens is late 18c. sailors' nickname for storm petrels, or for snowflakes. Mother lode attested by c. 1882, from mining [1849].
mother (v.)
1540s, "to be the mother of," from mother (n.1). Meaning "to take care of" is from 1863. Related: Mothered; mothering.
mother (n.2)
"a thick substance concreting in liquors; the lees or scum concreted" [Johnson], probably from Middle Dutch modder "filth, dregs," from PIE *meu- (see mud).
双语例句
1. Mrs Allen's style of cooking owes much to her mother-in-law.
艾伦太太的烹饪风格很大程度上承传于她的婆婆。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Did she usurp his place in his mother's heart?
她取代了他在他母亲心目中的地位吗？
来自柯林斯例句
3. The desire to be a mother may creep up on you unexpectedly.
你会不知不觉地产生想当母亲的渴望。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The mother provides the embryo with nourishment and a place to grow.
母亲为胎儿提供营养和成长的空间。
来自柯林斯例句
5. It is the mother who is expected to reorganize her busy schedule.