Latin word materia comes from Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr, and later Proto-Italic *mātēr (Mother.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *-tḗr | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone or something whose role or purpose it is to perform the verb's action. |
| *mh₂tros | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *mātēr | Proto-Italic (itc-pro) | Mother. |
| materia | Latin (lat) | (figurative) source, origin. Matter; material; component stuff; substance. Timber. |
| matere | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | Womb. |