mother-city
|moth-er-ci-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˈmʌðər ˌsɪti/
🇬🇧
/ˈmʌðə ˌsɪti/
(mother city)
founding or parent city
Etymology
'mother' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'mōdor', where 'mōdor' meant 'mother'. 'city' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'civitas', where 'civitas' meant 'citizenry' or 'city'. The compound 'mother city' is formed from these two elements.
'mother-city' developed from the separate words 'mother' (Old English 'mōdor') and 'city' (Old French 'cite' < Latin 'civitas'); the compound phrase 'mother city' appears in Modern English usage, with hyphenation sometimes used in contemporary style and as a nickname (for example, for Cape Town).
Initially the components meant literally 'mother' and 'city'; over time the compound came to be used metaphorically for a founding or principal city and as an honorific epithet (e.g., the 'Mother City' nickname for Cape Town).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a city regarded as the source or origin of settlers, culture, administration, or other towns — the city from which other places were founded or organized.
The port became the mother-city for settlements that spread inland.
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Noun 2
an epithet or honorary title applied to a specific city (notably Cape Town, South Africa), used as a nickname: 'the Mother City.'
Cape Town is often referred to as the mother-city of South Africa.
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Noun 3
a chief, principal, or central city in a region — used more generally to mean a metropolis or leading urban center.
In the 19th century the capital acted as the mother-city of the region.
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Last updated: 2025/12/11 17:30