μήτηρ Ancient Greek · revision 15537

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Mycenaean (Linear B)|origins=ine-pro *méh₂tēr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /mɛ̌ː.tɛːr/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈmi.tir/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈmi.tir/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''μήτηρ''' (mḗtēr) ''f'' (genitive μητέρος or μητρός); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|grk-pro|*mā́tēr]], [[inh|ine-pro|*méh₂tēr|t=mother]].^(Wiktionary)^(Beekes 2010) Doric keeps [[m|grc|μάτηρ|tr=mā́tēr]], and Mycenaean has [[gmy|ma-te]] and the dative [[m|gmy|ma-te-re]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(Mycenaean–Russian)

+

+ It is the old inherited word for “mother”, kept in every branch except Hittite, which has [[m|hit|anna-]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) Cognate with [[sa|मातृ|tr=mātṛ́|t=mother]], [[la|māter|t=mother]], [[lt|mótė|t=woman, wife, (dialectal) mother]], [[goh|muoter|t=mother]], [[ang|mōdor|t=mother]], [[cu|мати|tr=mati|t=mother]], [[xcl|մայր|tr=mayr|t=mother]] and Phrygian [[m|xpg|ματαρ|tr=matar]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) Frisk traced it to a nursery word [[m|grc|μᾶ|tr=mâ]];^(Frisk 1960) Beekes rejects this, since the Lithuanian accent shows a laryngeal, *meh₂-ter-.^(Frisk 1960)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Mycenaean tablets from Pylos have [[gmy|ma-te]], and the dative in a phrase read as Ματήρ Θεία, “the Mother of the gods”.^(Mycenaean–Russian) Homer uses it from the first book of the ''Iliad'' for a mother, and also for the dam of animals and a mother bird.^(GLAUx)^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Pindar calls a poet's Muse his mother, and Aristotle uses the word for queen bees.^(CGL 2021)^(LSJ 1940) “From one's mother” meant from birth (Pindar, Aeschylus).^(LSJ 1940) It also meant a source or origin.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ It formed many compounds: kinship terms such as [[μητροπάτωρ|tr=mētropátōr]] “mother's father” (the ''Iliad''), [[μητρόπολις|tr=mētrópolis]] “mother city” (Pindar, Simonides), and probably the goddess name [[Δημήτηρ|tr=Dēmḗtēr]].^(Beekes 2010) Its derivative [[μήτρα|tr=mḗtrā]] is the womb.^(Beekes 2010) Medieval Greek used the form ''μητέρα'',^(Kriaras) which is the Modern Greek word.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mycenaean – Pylos tablets record ma-te.^(Mycenaean–Russian)^(Beekes 2010)

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' uses it for a mother and for the dam of animals.^(LSJ 1940)^(GLAUx)

+ * 6th–5th century BC – Pindar calls the Muse a poet's mother.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for queen bees.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * Modern Greek – ''μητέρα'' means mother.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|mother]], of a woman or goddess.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # The dam of an animal; a mother bird; a queen bee.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # A source, origin.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[μητροπάτωρ|tr=mētropátōr]]

+ * [[μητρόπολις|tr=mētrópolis]]

+ * [[μητρομήτωρ|tr=mētromḗtōr]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|māter]]

+ * [[en|mother]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}