māternus, a, um, adj. [mater],
of or belonging to a mother, maternal (class.): sanguis, Enn. ap. Non. 292, 16 (Trag. v. 184 Vahl.): paternus maternusque sanguis, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 66: animus, Ter. Heaut. 637: nomen, Cic. Clu. 5, 12: menses, the months of pregnancy , Nemes. Cyn. 19: tempora, time of pregnancy , Ov. M. 3, 312: Caesar cingens maternā tempora myrto, i. e. of Venus , the mother of Aeneas, from whom sprang the race of the Caesars, Verg. G. 1, 28: arma (Aeneae), i. e. which his mother Venus had obtained for him from Vulcan , id. A. 12, 107: aves, i. e. the doves sacred to Venus , id. ib. 6, 193: avus, i. e. Atlas, the father of Maia, the mother of Mercury , id. ib. 4, 258: Delum maternam invisit Apollo, i. e. where his mother Latona had borne him , id. ib. 144: aequora, i. e. from which she (Venus) was born , Ov. F. 4, 131: Numa, related by the mother's side , id. P. 3, 2, 105; cf.: an ad maternos Latinos hoc senatus consultum pertineat, Gai. Inst. 3, 71: nobilitas, by the mother's side , Verg. A. 11, 340: Idus, i. e. of May (Mercury's birthday), Mart. 7, 71 5—Of animals: ut agnus condiscat maternum trahere alimentum, Col. 7, 3: perdix materna vacans cura, Plin. 10, 33, 51, § 103.