Paterfamiliar

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a manner that is familiar and fatherly, as a father might be with those under his care
2. Acting with the easy, familiar warmth and authority associated with a father toward his family
3. Characterizing a person who treats others with the protective, familiar tone of a paternal figure

Etymology: The "paterfamilias" was the legal head of an ancient Roman household, with authority over his children, his wife's household, and the enslaved people under his roof. The Latin compound joins "pater", father, with "familias", the genitive of "familia", which meant the whole household rather than a nuclear family. It was a legal status, not a term of affection, and a man held it only as the eldest living male of his line. The form paterfamiliar is not a standard Latin or English word. It appears to be a blend of "paterfamilias" and the English adjective "familiar", combining the Roman head of household with the sense of being too informal or intimate.