Dictionary formmater, matris(feminine)
Translation
mother
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | mater | matres |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | mater | matres |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | matrem | matres |
| Genitiveof | matris | matrum |
| Dativeto, for | matri | matribus |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | matre | matribus |
Examples
.
The mother loves her son.
.
He heard his mother's words.
.
We saw the mother in the temple.
.
She came with her own mother.
.
The mothers are calling the girls.
Mater, matris, f., third declension. It belongs to the small kinship group with pater and frater that looks like an i-stem and is not: the genitive plural is matrum, never matrium.
Mater familias keeps a fossilised archaic genitive in the second word, and the phrase means the mistress of the household rather than anyone's mother in particular. The derivatives spread further than you would expect: materia is timber and then matter in general, the mother-stuff a thing is made from; matrimonium is marriage seen as the making of mothers; matrona is a married woman of standing. Alma mater is "nourishing mother", from alo, and belonged to Ceres and Cybele long before it belonged to any university.
Where this fits
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mater: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "mater" (mother): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 3, lesson 7: mater, ius, parvus and 7 more words.