MATER

Mater is the Latin word for "mother",  and is the root for many English words related to motherhood and origins, such as "maternal," "matrix," and "matriarch". In ancient Rome, "mater" referred not only to a biological mother but also to figures of authority and nurturing, including goddesses associated with abundance and protection. The word comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *méhtēr, which is also the source for the word "mother" in many Indo-European languages.