fatherly

Meaning

Adj

1. Characteristic of what is considered the ideal behaviour pertaining to fatherhood.
2. Befitting of a father; protective, paternal.

Adv

In a way pertaining to, befitting, or of a father.

Synonyms

paternal

fatherlike

paternalistic

one’s father

motherly

parental

maternal

paternally

Translations

väterlich

paternel

πατρικός

أبوي

paterno

vaderlijk

paternal

paterno

paterno

väterlicherseits

paternus

maternel

patern

μητρικός

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɑːðəli/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: faderly

Inherited from Old English: fæderlīċ

Cognate with Western Frisian: faderlik

Cognate with Dutch: vaderlijk

Cognate with German: väterlich

Cognate with Danish: faderlig

Cognate with Swedish: faderlig

Cognate with Icelandic: föðurlegur

Inherited from Old English: fæderlīċe

In summary

From Middle English faderly, from Old English fæderlīċ (“fatherly, paternal”), from Proto-West Germanic *faderlīk, from Proto-Germanic *fadurlīkaz (“fatherly, paternal”), equivalent to father + -ly. Cognate with West Frisian faderlik (“fatherly”), Dutch vaderlijk (“fatherly”), German väterlich (“fatherly”), Danish faderlig (“fatherly”), Swedish faderlig (“fatherly”), Icelandic föðurlegur (“fatherly”) . Doublet of fatherlike.