matriline
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin mater (“mother”) + linea (“line”). By surface analysis, matri- + line.
Noun edit
matriline (plural matrilines)
- A line of descent from a female ancestor to a descendant (of either sex) in which the individuals in all intervening generations are mothers.
- Synonyms: motherline, mother's line
- Antonym: patriline