Maternal vs Paternal

Paternal is a word that has many meanings, but there is a common thread of relating to the father that is running through all these meanings. The word is to father what maternal is to mother and pertains to all things or traits that are considered fatherly. We have paternal relatives and maternal relatives that are easy to comprehend once we know that our father’s father is our paternal grandfather and the mother of our mother is our maternal grandmother. Let us take a closer look at the differences between paternal and maternal.

If a person inherits property or belongings from his father, he is said to have inherited paternal property. People recall their childhood saying they spent quality time at their paternal farm and so on. When a child resembles his father, he is said to have inherited paternal traits. Paternal is also described as a feeling of fatherhood just like maternal feeling that a girl has when she gives birth to a child. This paternal feeling is one of protectiveness towards kids and runs commonly across all cultures.

Maternal is an adjective that relates to all things and feelings relating to mother. It is also a feeling that is unique and full of tender thoughts about the baby. When a mother comes in physical contact with her baby for the first time, she is full of maternal feelings for the baby. What a man inherits from her mom, whether physical traits or property is termed as maternal. If the language on mother’s side is different from that being spoken at father’s place, it is referred to as maternal language.

There is one more use of maternal, and that refers to maternal qualities in a woman. If a woman is full of compassion and tender feelings for children, she is said to be having maternal feelings. The way a mother nurse her newborn is a maternal feeling, which is beyond description and can be understood only by mothers and those adopting and raising a child.

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