matter – English noun declension

English noun forms of matter

Noun: matter
Singularmatter
Pluralmatters

Sample Sentences

  • vegetable matter
  • He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
  • Something is the matter with him.
  • The diplomats met to discuss state matters.
  • So in many armies, if the matter ſhould bee tried by duell betvvene tvvo Champions, the victory ſhould goe on the one ſide, & yet if it be tried by the groſſe, it vvould goe on the other ſide: for excellencies goe as it vvere by chance, but kinds goe by a more certaine Nature, as by Diſcipline in vvarre. [1597, Francis [Bacon], “Of the Colours of Good and Evill, a Fragment”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland […], published 1632, →OCLC:]
  • Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name / Shall be the copious matter of my song. [1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:]
  • Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. [1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus xviii:22:]
  • The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold. [1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:]
  • The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled. [2012 July 12, Sam Adams, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, in AV Club:]
  • I stayed for a matter of months.
  • No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before. [1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC:]
  • Away he goes, […] a matter of seven miles. [1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:]
  • […] I have Thoughts to tarry a ſmall Matter in Town, to learn ſomewhat of your Lingo firſt, before I croſs the Seas. [1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene xv, page 47:]
  • Please find attached an invoice for three outstanding matters.
  • He is the matter of virtue. [1611, Ben Jonson, Oberon, the Faery Prince:]
  • And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife. [1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:]
  • What matter if we unrewarded must strive, / If Wall Street and gamblers around it may thrive? / What matter if we doubly pay for our food / To support the monopolist kings of the road? [1880, Bernard Nulty, The Patriot Chief: And Other Poems, page 211:]

Etymology

1. Etymology tree
2. Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr
3. Proto-Italic *mātēr
4. Latin māter
5. Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
6. Proto-Italic *-ijos
7. Proto-Italic *-ios
8. Old Latin -ios
9. Latin -ius
10. Latin -ia
11. ▲
12. Ancient Greek ὕλη (húlē)sl.
13. Latin māteriader.
14. Anglo-Norman materebor.
15. Middle English matere
16. English matter
17. From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin māteria (“wood”), from māter (“mother”), in which case cognate with Old Armenian մայր (mayr, “cedar”) and մայրի (mayri, “forest”). Doublet of Madeira, mata, mater, matrix, and mother.
18. Displaced Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”), from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”). See: Middle English Nouns 'matere', Latin Nouns 'māteria', Old English Nouns 'andweorc', Old English Nouns 'intinga'.