μήτηρ

English (LSJ)

Dor. μάτηρ, ἡ: though parox. in nom., it follows πατήρ in the accent of the obliq. cases, gen. μητερος contr. μητρός, dat. μητέρι, μητρί, both forms being found in Hom., but the longer forms rarely in Trag. exc. lyr., as

   A ματέρος A.Supp.539; ματέρι S.OC1481; μητέρος in iambics, E.HF843, Or.580, Rh.393: acc. always μητέρα, μητέρας: voc. μῆτερ:—mother, Il.1.351, etc.; of animals, dam, 17.4, Od.10.414; of a mother-bird, Il.2.313; of queen bees, Arist.HA553a29, etc.; ἀπὸ ματρὸς φίλας, ἐκ ματρός, from one's mother's womb, Pi.P.5.114, A.Ch. 422 (lyr.): in pl., mother and grandmother, Plu.Agis9; as an address to elderly women, ὦ μῆτερ D.S.17.37, cf. Theoc.15.60, etc.: in titles, μ. πατρίδος, = Mater Patriae, D.C.58.2; μ. τῶν ἀηττήτων στρατοπέδων, = Mater invictorum castrorum, of Julia Domna, BGU362 xi 16 (iii A.D.).    2 of lands, μ. μήλων, θηρῶν, mother of flocks, of game, Il. 2.696,8.47, etc.; freq. of Earth, γῆ πάντων μ. Hes.Op.563; πὰρ μέσον ὀμφαλὸν εὐδένδροιο . . ματέρος Pi.P.4.74; γῆ μήτηρ A.Th.16, etc.; ὦ γαῖα μῆτερ E.Hipp.601; ἡ Μήτηρ, = Δημήτηρ, τῇ Μητρὶ καὶ τῇ Κούρῃ ὁρτὴν ἄγουσι Hdt.8.65; also of Rhea, Pi.P.3.78; ὦ Πὰν... Ματρὸς μεγάλας ὀπαδέ Id.Fr.95, cf. E.Hel.1355 (lyr.); μ. ὀρεία Ar.Av.746 (lyr.); Γαλλαὶ μητρὸς ὀρείης φιλόθυρσοι δρομάδες Lyr.Adesp.121; M. θεῶν SIG1044.8 (Halic., iv B.C.); as title of Isis, PPetr.3p.2 (cf. p.xi) (iii B.C.).    3 freq. of one's native land, μᾶτερ ἐμά, Θήβα Pi.I.1.1, cf. P.8.98, A.Th.416, Isoc.4.25; and so, like μητρόπολις, Pi.O.9.20, cf. 6.100; ἡ Σκῦρος ἀνδρῶν ἀλκίμων μ. S.Ph.326.    II poet., the origin or source of events, μ. ἀέθλων, of Olympia, Pi.O.8.1; πειθαρχία γὰρ τῆς εὐπραξίας μ. A.Th.225; ἡ γνώμη κακῶν μ. S.Ph.1361; of night, as the mother of day, A.Ag.265; the grape of wine, Id.Pers.614, cf. E. Alc.757; ματέρ' οἰνάνθας ὀπώραν Pi.N.5.6; Aphrodite of the Loves, Id.Fr.122.4; φάτις ὦ μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς, of a rumour, S.Aj.174 (lyr.): also in Prose, γεωργίαν τῶν ἄλλων τεχνῶν μητέρα X.Oec.5.17; πολιτειῶν μητέρες δύο (sc. μοναρχία and δημοκρατία) Pl.Lg.693d. (Cf. Lat.mater, OE. módor, etc.)