matriarch

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂ergʰ-“to begin, rule, command”
2. Ancient Greek · derived from-άρχης
3. Latin · derived frommāter“mother”
4. Old French · derived frommatriarche
5. English todaymatriarch

Of Latin origin, via or reinforced by Old French matriarche, from Latin māter (“mother”) + -archa, -arches, from Ancient Greek -άρχης (-árkhēs), from ἀρχός (arkhós, “chief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin, rule, command”). By surface analysis, matri- + -arch.

Words from the same roots