motherhood
UK[ˈmʌðəhʊd]US[ˈmʌðɚhʊd]
n
The state or experience of being a mother.
n
The qualities or feelings associated with being a mother.
Morpheme Breakdown
mother
hood
mother
hood
Etymology
The word 'motherhood' is a transparent compound formed within English from its native Germanic elements. The root 'mother' descends from the ancient Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr, a fundamental kinship term that has remained remarkably stable across many language families, including Latin (māter) and Greek (mḗtēr). The suffix '-hood' originates from the Old English noun hād, which meant 'person, condition, quality, rank'. Over time, -hād evolved into the productive suffix '-hood', used to abstractly denote states or conditions, paralleling the function of '-ness'. Therefore, 'motherhood' literally constructs the abstract state or condition of being a mother from the concrete noun 'mother', following a classic pattern in English for forming words about identity and status.
Analysis
Structure: mother + hood
mother: Origin: Middle English, from Old English mōdor. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr. Functional role: The core lexical root denoting a female parent.
hood: Origin: Middle English -hod, from Old English -hād (state, condition, rank). Functional role: A noun-forming suffix indicating a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
She wrote a book about the joys and challenges of motherhood.
The policy aims to provide better support for women during pregnancy and early motherhood.
She felt a deep sense of motherhood the first time she held her newborn child.