paternal

Etymology

From Old French paternal (“of a father”) (12c.), a learned borrowing from Vulgar Latin paternālis (“paternal”), from Classical Latin paternus (“of or pertaining to a father, paternal”), from pater (“father”).

adj

  1. Of or pertaining to one's father, his genes, his relatives, or his side of a family.
    paternal grandfather
  2. Fatherly; behaving as or characteristic of a father.
  3. Received or inherited from one's father.
  4. Acting as a father.

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