The Latin word māter means “mother.” Its genitive form is mātris, which is why many English descendants use mater-, matr-, or matri-.

Here are some of the most interesting ones:

Word Meaning Connection to mater
Maternal relating to a mother Latin maternus = motherly
Maternity motherhood; the state of being a mother from mater
Matriarch female head of a family or group matri (mother) + arch (ruler)
Matriarchy society/family organized around female authority mother + rule
Matrimony marriage Latin matrimonium, historically associated with becoming a mother/wife
Matrimonial relating to marriage from matrimonium
Matrilineal tracing descent through the mother’s line mother + line
Matrilineage family descent through women mother + lineage
Matrilocal living near/with the wife’s family after marriage mother/woman’s family + place
Matrifocal centered around the mother mother + focus
Matricide killing one’s mother matri + -cide (“killing”)
Matricidal relating to matricide derived from matricide
Matron a mature or married woman; historically a mother/wife Latin matrona, from mater
Matronly having the appearance or qualities of a mature woman from matron
Matrix an environment or structure from which something develops Latin matrix = womb, breeding female
Alma mater the school/university one attended literally “nourishing mother”
Materfamilias female head/mother of a household Latin: “mother of the family”
Matronymic a name derived from one’s mother’s name mother + name
Matricentric centered around the mother mother + center

An interesting pattern

The same Latin root changes shape:

MATER → MATR- → MATRI-

For example:

mater → maternal
mater → matron
mater → matrimony
mater → matriarch
mater → matricide
mater → matrilineal

This happens because Latin māter has the genitive mātris, meaning “of the mother.” English therefore inherited many compounds using matr-/matri-.

There is also a beautiful parallel with pater (“father”):

pater → paternal → patriarch → patricide → patrilineal
mater → maternal → matriarch → matricide → matrilineal

So pater/patr- = father, while mater/matr- = mother.

English