also mother-land, "land of one's origin, land whence a people originated," 1711, from mother (n.1) + land (n.).

"lacking or having lost a mother," Old English moderleas; see mother (n.1) + -less.

"motherly care," 1868, verbal noun from mother (v.). Earlier it was used in reference to the rural custom of visiting one's parents with presents on Mid-Lent Sunday (1640s).

"state or fact of being a mother," 1590s, from mother (n.1) + -hood. Earlier was moderhede "motherhead" (mid-14c.).

Old English modorlic "pertaining to a mother;" see mother (n.1) + -ly (1). Meaning "befitting a mother, parental, affectionate" is from mid-13c. Similar formation in Dutch moederlijk, Old High German muoterlih, German mütterlich. Related: Motherliness.

"a name derived from a mother or maternal ancestor," 1794, a hybrid from Latin māter "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + Greek-based ending from patronymic. As an adjective, "pertaining to or being derived from a mother or maternal ancestor," from 1874.

word-forming element meaning "of or relating to a mother," also "of or relating to women," from combining form of Latin māter (genitive mātris) "mother" (see mother (n.1)).

"lining membrane of the uterus," 1882, medical Latin, from endo- + Greek mētra "uterus," related to mētēr "mother" (see mother (n.1)). Related: Endometrial (1870).