metronymic
[ mee-truh-nim-ik, me- ]
/ ˌmi trəˈnɪm ɪk, ˌmɛ- /
adjective
derived from the name of a mother or other female ancestor.
noun
a metronymic name.
Also
matronymic.
Origin of metronymic
First recorded in 1865–70,
metronymic is from the Greek word
mētrōnymikós named after one's mother
Words nearby metronymic
Example sentences from the Web for metronymic
Descent henceforth was reckoned in the paternal line, and society had become patronymic instead of metronymic.
Society |Henry Kalloch RoweMetronymic, met-ro-nim′ik, adj. derived from the name of one's mother, or other female ancestor.
British Dictionary definitions for metronymic
metronymic
less commonly matronymic
/ (ˌmɛtrəˈnɪmɪk) /
adjective
(of a name) derived from the name of its bearer's mother or another female ancestor
noun
a metronymic name
Word Origin for metronymic
C19: from Greek
mētronumikos, from
mētēr mother +
onoma name