1. Concept
Mother is the English version of a universal Indo-European kinship term for the female parent of a child (Childhood). The legal and social status of motherhood (see below) is generally founded on the birth of the child (Childbirth), but may also depend on the legal act of adoption or related social practices (fostering, stepmotherhood; see Legitimization of children). The concept of motherhood in early modern period European societies was associated with powerful emotion…