matrona Latin · revision 31286

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *méh₂-tr-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [maːˈtroː.na]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [maˈtrɔː.na]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mātrōna''' ''f'' (genitive mātrōnae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|māter|t=mother]] with the suffix ⟨-ōna⟩, on the model of [[m|la|patrōnus|t=patron]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan derives ⟨māter⟩ from [[itc-pro|*mātēr]] and [[ine-pro|*méh₂-tr-|t=mother]], perhaps in origin a derivative of the nursery word ⟨*ma(ma)⟩.^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[osc|maatreís|t=of the mother]], [[grc|μήτηρ|tr=mḗtēr|t=mother]] and [[sa|मातृ|tr=mātár-|t=mother]].^(de Vaan 2008) Isidore of Seville also explains its origin.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler gives Ennius as its first author,^(Köbler 2010) who has ''mātrōnae moerōs complent'', “the matrons crowd the walls”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a married woman or matron, whether or not she was under her husband's legal power, so that it is wider than ''māter familiās'', which always was.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is a title of Juno, and in the plural inscriptions use it of a group of Celtic goddesses.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) Fronto applies it familiarly to a young girl of rank, Marcus Aurelius' daughter, and Horace uses it simply for a wife, the wife of a warring tyrant.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “matron, woman of quality”.^(Stelten 1995) Through Old French it gave English [[m|en|matron]] in the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius of matrons on the walls.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace in the sense “wife”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 100–170 AD – Fronto of a young girl.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English ''matron'', through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A married woman, [[m|en|matron]], woman of standing.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # A title of [[m|en|Juno]];^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) ''(plural)'' a group of Celtic goddesses.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A wife.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mātrōnālis]]

+ * [[mātrōnātus]]

+ * [[mātrōnula]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[māter]]

+ * [[māterfamiliās]]

+ * [[māternus]]

+ * [[mātertera]]

+ * [[patrōnus]]

+ * [[mātrimōnium]]

+ * [[en|matron]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Matrona'' is also the Latin name of the river Marne, in Caesar and Ammianus,^(Lewis & Short 1879) which Wiktionary and Köbler derive from a Gaulish river-goddess name formed on the Celtic word for mother.^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}