mother (2009-05-10)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: ['mê-dhêr]

Definition: A female parent. One who gives birth to and/or permanently nurtures, comforts and protects a child.

Usage: When Sadaam Hussein (remember him?) challenged the US to the "mother of all battles," we all knew exactly what he meant because of the primordial force of motherhood throughout our language: Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Mother of God, Mother Goose (the originator of all children's stories since the book's first printing in 1719), the mother lode, the motherland—even the motherboard in your computer. Mothers are associated in all our minds with our origins and what is essential, crucial, and most important.

Suggested Usage: As befits the term, "mother" is the progenitor of a large and meaningful word family. "Motherly" is the adjective and adverb of today's word, as in "motherly love" and "she motherly wiped the little boy's tears away." "Motherliness" is the noun expressing the warmth, nurturing concern and protectiveness that give the root, "mother," its true meaning. Just as many mothers work two jobs, so does this word—it also does the work of a verb: "Mothering and working are full-time jobs can try the best of mothers."

Etymology: The origin of the word for "mother" in virtually all Indo-European languages is the baby-talk syllable "ma," usually the first recognizable syllable uttered by a baby and also the basis of "mama," plus the kinship suffix -ter (-ther), also found in "sister, "brother," and "father." The original form, *mater-, evolved into Latin "mater," Greek "meter" (as in "metropolis," the mother city), German "Mutter," French "mère," Serbian "majka," Russian "mat', materi," Italian and Spanish "madre," Portuguese "mãe," Danish "moder," Dutch and Afrikaans "moeder," Norwegian "mor," Swedish "moder," Icelandic "móðir," Irish "máthair," Hindi "mataji," Gujarati "maataa," Farsi (Persian) "madar," and Pashto "mor." So, if you're a mother, you are part of a major power in the world and we at yourDictionary wish this day one of the happiest in your life.