Note: the Hindi and Sanskrit paths disagree here — the Hindi dictionary reading is negative (“diseases”) while the Sanskrit reading is not. Both are shown below; read them together before choosing.
As a deity name
Name 858 of the Durga Sahasranāma — Kula Arnava Tantra / Skanda Purana, as taught by Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati
Name 767 of the Gayatri Sahasranāma — Devi Bhagavata Purana, as taught by Sages
As a Hindi name
Note: the Hindi and Sanskrit paths disagree here — the Hindi dictionary reading is negative (“diseases”) while the Sanskrit reading is not. Both are shown below; read them together before choosing.
माता · noun · feminine
जन्म देनेवाली स्त्री । जननी · कोई पूज्य या आदरणीय बड़ी स्त्री · गौ — Śabdasāgara
माता · adj
नाप या माप करनेवाला · निर्माणकर्ता । बनानेवाला · ठीक ठीक जानकारी रखनेवाला — Śabdasāgara
माता · mātā · s.f.
Mother — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 977
माता · mātā · adj.
(f. -ī), Drunk, intoxicated; full (of) — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 977
माता · feminine
mother; ellipsis of शीतला माता (śītlā mātā, “(Mother) Shitala”) A goddess associated with smallpox, chickenpox, and more broadly the curing of poxes and diseases.; smallpox, chickenpox
माता
intoxicated, drunk
Cited formation "माता" is मात + -आ: मात means "measurement, matra", and the suffix -आ forms abstract, agent, action or instrumental nouns (masc.); also past participles. CHD Basic Grammar App. I §8(3) — cited from the extracted rule table
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi मातृ — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr Proto-Indo-Iranian *máHtā Sanskrit मातृ (mātṛ)lbor. Hindi माता Learned borrowing from Sanskrit माता (mātā), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *máHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr. Doublet of माँ (mā̃). In the sense of "smallpox" and "chicken…” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
1. mātṛ m. (for 2. mātṛ f. See p. 807, col. 1) a measurer,Nir. xi, 5
one who measures across or traverses, RV. viii, 41, 4 (cf. 10)
a Hindi word, a tadbhava: evolved from the Sanskrit through Prakrit मत्तक — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Inherited from Sanskrit मत्तक (mattaka, “intoxicated”). See also माँत (mā̃t).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
mattaka mfn. somewhat drunk or intoxicated, MW.
somewhat proud or overbearing, Hariv.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
mātā-duhitṛ &c. See col. 3.
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (5)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "mātā" is the nominative of "mātṛ" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
M1 · same meaning "mātā" is the feminine form of "māta" — the same word with the feminine ending (nominative).
M3 · meaning shifts "mātā" is derived from "mā" with the tal suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
mā f. a mother, L.
measure, L.
1. 2. mātā , mātā-duhitṛ &c. See col. 3.
1. mātā f. = mātṛ (see kāka- and viśva-m˚).
Related forms
Dictionary citations
1. 2. mātā , mātā-duhitṛ &c. See col. 3.
1. mātā f. = mātṛ (see kāka- and viśva-m˚).
2. mātā nom. of mātṛ, in comp.
mātā A mother.
1. mātṛ m. (for 2. mātṛ f. See p. 807, col. 1) a measurer,Nir. xi, 5
one who measures across or traverses, RV. viii, 41, 4 (cf. 10)
1. māta mfn. (for 2. and 3. See pp. 806 and 807) formed, made, composed (?), RV. v, 45, 6 (others, ‘fr. √ man’, others, ‘mātā, mother’; cf. deva-māta).
2. māta m. (for 1. See p. 804, col. 2; for 3. under 2. mātṛ, p. 807, col. 2) metron. fr. mati
mā f. a mother, L.
measure, L.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
Sources contain errors and engines have limits; every claim above carries its citation so you can verify it. This is guidance about names and their sources — not religious or astrological consultation. How we work · Our sources