paternal

C1 Topic:Family & Relationships

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

adj noun 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

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

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Topics

Family & Relationships Word Formation & Derivatives

# paternal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**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
- Family & Relationships
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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paternal

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