'motherhood' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'mōdorhād', where 'mōdor' meant 'mother' and '-hād' meant 'state or condition'.

'mōdorhād' transformed into the Middle English word 'moderhede', and eventually became the modern English word 'motherhood'.

Initially, it meant 'the state of being a mother', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.