material
Meaning
The substance or substances from which something is made or can be made.
Information or ideas used in books, performances, etc.
Connected with physical objects rather than the mind or spirit.
Important and needing to be considered.
Structure
Usage
The building's primary material is locally sourced stone.
She is gathering material for her next novel.
He showed a great interest in material possessions.
Etymology
The word 'material' originates from the Latin māteriālis, meaning "of or belonging to matter." This derives from māteria, signifying "substance, matter, timber," which itself is rooted in māter, meaning "mother." The conceptual link is profound: just as a mother is the source of life, the primary substance or raw matter is the source from which things are produced. Over time, the meaning broadened from physical timber or building substance to encompass any physical substance and, later, abstract information used as the basis for work. The adjective form, via Old French material, came to describe things pertaining to physical matter, in contrast to the spiritual or intellectual.
Analysis
'mater' is from Latin māter (mother, source, origin). 'ial' is a suffix from Latin -iālis, used to form adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to."