Where does “material” come from?
material (Old French) comes from Latin māteriālis, from Latin māteria, from Latin māter, from Proto-Italic mātēr, from Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr — mother.
Ancestry of “material”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | māteriālis | material (made of matter) |
| 2 | Latin | māteria | matter; material; component stuff; substance |
| 3 | Latin | māter | mother female parent |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | mātēr | mother |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | méh₂tēr | mother |