matrastra

matrastra

Latin

Etymology

From mātr- (“mother”) +‎ -astra (“wannabe”). Found in Imperial inscriptions and in the Reichenau Glossary.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Proto-Romance) IPA^(key): /maˈtrastra/

Noun

mātrastra f (genitive mātrastrae); first declension

1. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) stepmother
   • CIL XI 6730, 4 :

     hic est Hirculis, qu[i] a matrastra sua / perivit[2]

     This is Hercules, who died at the hands of his stepmother.

Coordinate terms

• patraster

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Sicilian: marrastra, matrastra
• North Italian:
  • Friulian: marastra
  • Lombard: madrastra
  • Piedmontese: marastra, madrastra
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Old French: marastre, marrastre
    • French: marâtre
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: marastra, madrastra
  • Old Occitan: mayrastra, mairastra
    • Occitan: mairastra
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Asturian: madrasta, madrastra
  • Galician: madrasta, madrasca
  • Portuguese: madrasta
  • Spanish: madrastra

References

1. Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “matrastra”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 6/1: Mabile–Mephitis, page 494
2. Diehl, Ernst. 1910. Vulgärlateinische Inschriften. Bonn: Marcus & Weber. Page 106.