Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unmotherly” come from?

unmotherly (English) comes from English motherly, from Middle English moderly, from Old English mōdorlīċ, from Proto-Germanic mōdērlīkaz — motherly, maternal.

unmotherly (English): Not motherly; unmaternal

Definitions

  1. Not motherly; unmaternal

Ancestry of “unmotherly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmotherlyBefitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing,...
2Middle EnglishmoderlyMotherly; pertaining to, befitting, or of a...
3Old Englishmōdorlīċmotherly, maternal
4Proto-Germanicmōdērlīkazmotherly, maternal

Words derived from “unmotherly”

  • unmotherliness
Every word from Proto-Germanic mōdērlīkaz →