motherly
UK /ˈmʌðəli/ · US /ˈmʌðɚli/ adjective, adverb
- adjective Befitting a mother; warm, caring, nurturing, protective, loving.
- adverb In a way pertaining to, befitting, or of a mother.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English moderly, from Old English mōdorlīċ (“motherly, maternal”), from Proto-Germanic *mōdērlīkaz (“motherly, maternal”), equivalent to mother + -ly.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to a mother; like, or suitable for, a mother; tender; maternal; as, motherly authority, love, or care. Hooker.
- adverb In a manner of a mother.
Etymology [AS. modorlic.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “motherly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details