MOTHER Copy link • MOTHERPROP., mater: matrix (only of animals; ☞ Procreatrix for mater does not occur in the proper sense, nor is genitrix so used in classic prone; hence both must be avoided): to become a mother, partum edere; by anyone, gravidum fieri ex or de aliquo; matrem fieri de aliquo (Ov., Met., 3, 270): to be a mother, peperisse: to be the mother of three children, trium liberorum matrem esse; tres liberos peperisse: children of one mother, liberi eadem matre nati; liberi uterini (Cod. Just., 5, 61, 2): that has a mother still alive, matrimus: on the mother’s side, maternus: that has lost his mother, matre orbus. Figuratively, producer, nourisher, mater (general term); parens, procreatrix, genitrix (parens to be used when the substantive is masculine in Latin): the earth is the common mother of all mortals, terra est communis mater omnium mortalium: philosophy is the mother of all sciences, procreatrix quaedam et quasi parens omnium artium est philosophia: frugality is the mother of virtues, genitrix virtutum frugalitas: honor is the mother (promoter) of the arts, honos alit artes.