"Maternal" and "paternal"...?

Question

I've been secretly confused about this for a while now, so thought I'd ask here. It's not the type of information I can type into Google. Now bear with me, because I don't know if I can explain my question very well! -

I know that "paternal" is the father's side, researching lineage from son to father upwards.

"Maternal" is concerning the mother's side, but is it the famales only (tracing daughter to mother upwards) or is it your mother's father, and then males all the way up from there?

If "maternal" is all of the females upwards, is there a term for researching your mother's male line, or is it just referred to as your mother's paternal line? Does this apply too for your father's mother's female line (referring it as your father's maternal line)?

Answer 1

For ordinary genealogy.

Your paternal lineage is everyone, male and female on your father's side.

Your maternal lineage is everyone, male and female, on your mother's side.

For genetic genealogy, which I don't think you are talking about, as a female, you only have your mothers mtdna, which traces only your female line i.e. your mother, her mother, her mother etc., back to when you first evolved into a human, you pass your mtdna on to both your sons and daughters, but your sons will not pass the mtdna from you on to their children.

A male receives his Y-dna from his father, and only passes it on to his sons, females do not have Y-dna. The Y-dna traces only the male line, your father, his father, his father etc., back to when he first evolved into a human.

Answer 2

We're all confused initially.  Maternal-from the Latin- Mater... as is paternal...Pater, also Latin.  If one is searching on the Maternal line, the ancestors there are 'Maternal'...ditto for father's lines, paternal lines. If there are other generic terms, I am not aware of them.

Answer 3

Maternal is always female, paternal is always male.

For you, YOUR maternal line is your mother's side including all her male and female ancestors; YOUR paternal line is your father's side, including all his male and female ancestors.  However, then when you talk about your mother, she also has HER own maternal and paternal lines, as she has her own mother's side and her own father's side.  So does your father.  So, basically, you pretty much said it in your last paragraph of your question.

Answer 4

FOR YOU, your maternal side is everyone all the way back to Adam & Eve on YOUR MOTHER'S SIDE.

Your paternal side is everyone all the way back to Adam & Eve on YOUR FATHER'S SIDE.

Now that that is clear...when doing a DNA test, the mtDNA test will be on your mother's side.  However, IT IS ONLY MOTHER TO MOTHER to mother all the way back.  You do not get any mtDNA from your mother's father; your maternal grandmother provides the mtDNA; she got it from her mother, who got it from her mother.

For yDNA, you get it ONLY from your father, who got it from his father, who got it from his father.  

So, mtDNA and yDNA trace ONLY in a straight line; no branches.

For more on DNA, see www.familytreedna.com or the National Geographics Genotype Program.

Answer 5

Maternal is just an adjective. So is paternal. You can string them together if you want:

"My maternal grandfather's maternal grandfather came west in a covered wagon in 1867".

(That you be your mother's father's mother's father, your 2nd great grandfather.)

Your "Maternal side" is half your direct ancestors - your mother's male and female ancestors. Your "paternal grandfather's side" is a quarter of your ancestors - your father's father and all of his male and female ancestors.

They are both handy ways to distinguish which you mean when you have two, like grandfathers or grandmothers.

If you said "my mother's father's line", it woudl mean him and all of his ancestors, male and female. "Maternal grandfather's line" is the same thing, but, since it has one less possesive "s", it is a bit easier to grasp at first hearing.

Once you get beyond your grandparents, it is easier to print off a pedigree chart and point: "Here; this one; fourth column, third one down".

Answer 6

Okay, I get the drift of your question.  Now, I'm trying to think of a way to explain...  I'll answer your questions.  See if that works.

1.You said, "I know that "paternal" is the father's side, researching lineage from son to father upwards."   Well, not quite -  Whether you are a male or female, your paternal lineage begins with your father.

2.You said, "Maternal" is concerning the mother's side... "  

Well, - Anyone's  maternal side (male or female) begins with one's mother.  Generally speaking maternal refers to the mother's side, but NO... it is not only tracing females, daughter to mother upwards.  It begins with the mother then goes upward in couples.  That might take digesting-----

NEXT

When using the terms maternal and paternal  in genealogy, you might say:

my father's paternal grandmother = your father's father's mother

or

my father's maternal grandmother= your father's mother's mother  

We all have 2 sets of grandparents, right? - one on our dad's side

and one on our mom's side

LINES

When you refer to your mother's line,  in my case, my SMITH line, which is my mother's maiden name.  But my SMITH  "ancestral line" will include all sorts of other names.

Use maternal and paternal in a broad statement:

"My maternal line goes all the back to the Mayflower."

or in a statement to describe a specific individual:

"The great grandfather of my mother on her paternal side was a dope."

Is any of this resonating?  A chart would work better, I suppose.  I'd be happy to draw you a chart, if you wish.  

Best wishes and Happy Hunting !

Answer 7

I am new to this genealogy; have only just started out investigating my family tree.  So I am interested to see the comments that other people have put to your question.  Sorry that I could not be any help.