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Mi abuelo materno nació en Galicia.
My maternal grandfather was born in Galicia.
The grandfather on one's mother's side.
Visité a mi abuelo materno todos los veranos.
I visited my maternal grandfather every summer.
El abuelo materno de María es muy sabio.
María's maternal grandfather is very wise.
Used to specify the lineage of the grandfather. The opposite term is 'abuelo paterno' (paternal grandfather).
Think of 'materno' as related to 'madre' (mother). The phrase literally means 'grandfather from the mother's side'.
In Spanish, family terms often include lineage (materno/paterno) to clarify relationships. Always use 'materno' for mother's side and 'paterno' for father's side.
Composed of 'abuelo' (grandfather) from Latin 'avus' (grandfather) and 'materno' (maternal) from Latin 'maternus' (of a mother).
Commonly used in family contexts to distinguish between maternal and paternal grandparents. The phrase follows the structure of specifying lineage after the noun.