matriarch

Of Latin origin, via or reinforced by Old French matriarche, from Latin māter (“mother”) + -archa, -arches, from Ancient Greek -άρχης (-árkhēs), from ἀρχός (arkhós, “chief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin, rule, command”). By surface analysis, matri- +‎ -arch.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪtɹɪˌɑːk/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪtɹiɑɹk/

matriarch (plural matriarchs)

1. A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.
   1. The dominant female in a family group of elephants
2. A female founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.

• materfamilias

• highfather
• paterfamilias
• patriarch

• Audio

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matriarch f (plural matriarchen, diminutive matriarchje n, masculine patriarch)

1. matriarch