paternal

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /pəˈtɜɹ.nəl/ UK /pəˈtɜː.nəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #23687

Meanings

1

adj
Related to you through your father's side of the family.

My paternal grandmother lived in Italy.
2

adj
Typical of or behaving like a father; fatherly.

He took a paternal interest in the young employees.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · related to you through your... agnate

2 adj · typical of or behaving like... parental fatherly

Word family

Derived forms allopaternalantipaternalbipaternalgrandpaternalheteropaternalhomopaternalmonopaternalnonpaternalpaternalisepaternalismpaternalistpaternalistic

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

paternal aunt
a sister of one's father

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Paternal, recorded in late Middle English, derives ultimately from Latin pater, “father.” The same Latin word also lies behind patrician.

Etymology

From Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”), from Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”), from pater (“father”).

*peh₂- Proto-Indo-European paternal Old French paternālis la-vul paternus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# paternal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /pəˈtɜɹ.nəl/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈtɜː.nəl/
**Frequency rank:** 23687

## Meanings
1. Related to you through your father's side of the family.
2. Typical of or behaving like a father; fatherly.

## Examples
- My paternal grandmother lived in Italy.
- He took a paternal interest in the young employees.

## Derived Forms
- allopaternal
- antipaternal
- bipaternal
- grandpaternal
- heteropaternal
- homopaternal
- monopaternal
- nonpaternal
- paternalise
- paternalism
- paternalist
- paternalistic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *peh₂-
- Root: paternal
- Root: paternālis
- Root: paternus

## Etymology
From Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”), from Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”), from pater (“father”).

## AI Etymology
Paternal is from Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”), from Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”), from pater (“father”). In present-day use, it can mean related to you through your father's side of the family, or typical of or behaving like a father; fatherly. Derived formations include allopaternal, antipaternal, bipaternal, grandpaternal, and heteropaternal.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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