mother

Where does the word "mother" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic mōdēr, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Mother’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: mōdēr meant “mother.” Shares an ancient root with Latin 'mater', Greek 'mētēr' and Sanskrit 'mātṛ'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as mōdor. Spelled with a 'd' until the 1500s, when it shifted to 'th', as 'fæder' did to 'father'. It reached English by 1500s as mother. 'mother tongue', for one's first language, is recorded from the late 1300s. Today, mother means a female parent.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient mōdēr "mother", shares an ancient root with Latin 'mater', Greek 'mētēr' and Sanskrit 'mātṛ'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s mōdor "mother", spelled with a 'd' until the 1500s, when it shifted to 'th', as 'fæder' did to 'father'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s mother "female parent", 'mother tongue', for one's first language, is recorded from the late 1300s.