'motherly' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'mōdorlic,' where 'mōdor' meant 'mother' and '-lic' was a suffix meaning 'like.'

'mōdorlic' transformed into the Middle English word 'moderly,' and eventually became the modern English word 'motherly.'

Initially, it meant 'like a mother,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.