paternal quality
- noun
- /pəˈtɜrnəl ˈkwɒləti/
:
cualidad paternal
- Many admire his paternal quality, like his ability to guide and protect his family.
Examples
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She appreciated his paternal quality, as he always made time to listen and support her.
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According to Torvald, Nora's father lacked those paternal qualities of uprightness, morality, and strength that characterize a Lutheran father and God.
Academic text (1997) -
His paternal quality was evident when he comforted his child after a bad dream.
Synonyms
A kind, caring, protective attitude toward others like a father
Antonyms
How Fatherly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'paternal' means fatherly and 'quality' means a characteristic, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer 'traits typical of a father.' This adjective + noun pattern is a common and regular way of naming characteristics in English (and similar in many languages), making the phrase transparent to learners.
Etymology
The phrase paternal quality comes from the simple image of a father caring for and protecting a child, where paternal means like a father and quality means a way of behaving. So, saying someone has a paternal quality means they are 'protective' and 'caring' in the way a father often is.