mother
UK[ˈmʌðə(r)]US[ˈmʌðər]
n
A female parent
n
(often Mother) A title given to a woman who is the head of a religious community or the founder of an institution
v
To care for and protect someone in a kind, gentle way like a mother
Etymology
The word 'mother' originates from the Old English 'mōdor', which is directly descended from the Proto-Germanic 'mōdēr'. This, in turn, can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root 'méh₂tēr', a fundamental kinship term. The remarkable stability of this word across millennia and numerous Indo-European languages—such as Latin 'māter', Greek 'mḗtēr', and Sanskrit 'mātṛ'—highlights its deep-rooted, universal significance in human society. The modern abstract meaning, extending from a biological parent to a source, origin, or nurturing figure, evolved naturally from this primal concept of the primary female caregiver.
Analysis
The word 'mother' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes in modern English.
Examples
She talks to her mother on the phone every Sunday.
Mother Teresa was known for her charitable work.
He mothered the orphaned kittens, feeding them with a bottle.