matriarch
Meaning
a woman who is the head of a family or tribe.
an older woman who is powerful within a family, organization, or field.
Structure
Usage
the family matriarch made all the important decisions during the reunion.
she was widely respected as the matriarch of the local arts community.
in many elephant herds, the oldest female serves as the matriarch.
Etymology
the word matriarch is a modern english formation, coined in the early 17th century by directly combining two classical elements. the first part, 'matri-', derives from the latin 'mater' (mother), which itself traces back to the proto-indo-european root 'méh₂tēr'. the second part, '-arch', comes from the greek '-arkhēs', meaning a ruler or chief, originating from the greek verb 'arkhein' (to rule, to begin). thus, the literal construction 'mother-ruler' logically evolved to denote a woman who holds a position of authority and leadership within a family or social group, paralleling the structure and meaning of the older term 'patriarch'.
Analysis
matri originates from latin 'mater', meaning mother. arch originates from greek 'arkhēs', meaning ruler or leader.