maternal heritage
Lineage through mothers
Maternal heritage refers to what is inherited or passed down through the mother's side of a family—ancestry, genetics, cultural traditions, or property that traces through female lineage.
The term often appears in discussions of mitochondrial DNA, which passes exclusively from mother to child: Scientists traced her maternal heritage back to ancient populations in East Africa.
It may also describe cultural identity received from one's mother: She embraced her maternal heritage by learning her grandmother's recipes.
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- family treeChart of ancestors
grandmother · roots · blood ties · family · tradition · family recipes · mitochondrial · DNA · genealogy · clan · foremothers · legacy · descent · birthright · kinship · maiden name · dowry · womb
maternal, heritage, mother, maternity, matriarch, matriarchal, matron, matronly, matrix